Centuries ago, ears of corn were less than an inch long and only produced about ten hard kernels that tasted like dry, raw potatoes. The corn we grow and eat today is 100 times larger, with about 800 sweet and juicy kernels. The evolution from a tiny, tasteless crop to a flavorful food staple is the work of plant geneticists. By selectively breeding crops based on desirable qualities – such as yield, flavor, size and nutrient value – plant geneticists improve and create new varieties of crops and plants.
Plant pathologists evaluate plant species from both a micro and macro level to determine pathogens affecting the life and production of the plant. This career is vital for the innovation of plant growth and production practices that protect individual plants and are environmental safe and effective.
Process engineers are critical thinkers and problem solvers – applying scientific principles and mathematics to improve processes that develop the products we enjoy every day. Whether turning milk into cheese or oil into gasoline, these professionals specialize in maximizing the efficiency of transforming raw materials into final products. These innovations keep overhead as low as possible for production companies and prices down for consumers.
The average grocery store carries over 47,000 products – that’s a lot of food and a lot of choices for shoppers. Production Food Development Specialists are responsible for creating new food strategies and products that will appeal to consumers. They oversee the entire product development process, from conducting market research and trends, to product testing, packaging and marketing. They are innovators and team players, collaborating across many cross-functional teams and groups.
If you’re a stickler for detail and have a knack for data analysis, then you might consider a career as a quality control analyst. Responsible for ensuring that the products and food that we buy meet established quality standards, quality control analysts conduct tests, interpret results and conduct visual inspections. They may identify products that don’t meet established standards and advise on solutions.
Market research analysts are facts-first people. Using data from the research they gather, they can make or break the case for any cause—such as food security and public health. With their ability to create compelling arguments and presentations, they strategize for a more sustainable, efficient future, every day.
Plan, direct or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as identifying strategies to promote products or services along with developing strategies on pricing. The end goal of a marketing manager is to identify potential customers and increase the demand for their product or service over competitors.
Daily, legal counsels work individually, or collaboratively, to protect and defend their company or clients, while provide legally sounds advice on operations and transactions.
Ever peeked inside a laptop or cell phone and wondered how it was created? It was likely the work of a computer hardware engineer. Using design methods, problem-solving and logic skills, computer hardware engineers build computer systems and their related components. From processors to memory devices, 3-D printers to self-driving combines, computer hardware engineers shape the future of computer technology.
Every time a student searches the web, a nurse updates patient records or a farmer checks the weather forecast, they generate data. Data curators use their deep understanding of data applications to help businesses, organizations and IT professionals establish common goals and utilize this data to accomplish them. With more sophisticated ways to leverage the huge amounts of information we create, data curators help us become more efficient, informed and productive.
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