Hey IFTSA! I am honored to serve as your president for this upcoming year. We have a ton of exciting things in the works that I want to tell you about, but first, let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m originally from northern New Hampshire and I got my B.S. in Food Science from UMass Amherst in 2013. I’m now a 2nd year Ph.D. student at Purdue. I first learned about IFTSA as a chapter leader, attending the IFTSA Chapter Leaders Workshop. I was then elected as the North Atlantic Area Representative the following year. It was great to meet all of the awesome leaders within IFTSA and be able to provide input into how the organization moved forward. This excitement motivated me to run for IFTSA President – Elect the following year. Now moving into my 2nd year in the IFTSA Office of the Presidents, getting involved has been one of the best decisions I have made as a student.
My major focus has been to update and improve our student competitions. The IFTSA Competitions Task Force has been investigating our competitions and making some major and minor revisions. Be on the lookout for competition updates coming soon! We are always looking for suggestions, so make sure to let us know your thoughts and ideas!
Lately, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the globalization of IFTSA, especially with the launch of our first student chapter abroad in Ankara, Turkey. This will be a common theme over the next few years, as we begin to adjust IFTSA’s focus from domestic to global. So, what does this mean for you? As IFTSA becomes more global, our students will get more diverse opportunities, such as networking with students and professionals from around the world, possible opportunities to travel abroad, and potential involvement in global competitions. If you know of anyone from around the world who would like to learn more about IFTSA and the benefits of joining, let us know and we can provide them with more info!
Also, If you are interested in becoming involved with IFTSA, let me know! We are always looking for student volunteers. These can include elected and appointed positions, or volunteering for one of our many groups or task forces. We can certainly find a position that works well for you and your schedule, and you never know what other opportunities that may bring.
Our student volunteers have been working tirelessly to start this year off with a bang. Be on the lookout for blog posts, email updates, tweets and more to keep up to date with all things IFTSA!
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns in regards to IFTSA, please feel free to reach out to me at anytime via any of the means below. I’m always happy to set up a time to chat more.
All the best,
Jay Gilbert
Jaygilbert53@yahoo.com
Twitter: @jaytgilbert
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jaytgilbert/
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