PULLMAN, Wash. — For fall 2024 School of Food Science graduate Steven Verver, the study of what we consume is endlessly interesting and always applicable.
“Everybody has to eat,” said Verver, an outstanding student who carried the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences gonfalon banner during Washington State University’s commencement Saturday, Dec. 7, at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.
“Food has some really cool interactions and characteristics that you might never learn about,” he added. “Getting to see the application in our classes has been really cool, and very unique for a hard science major.”
Selected from several nominated scholars to carry the gonfalon, Verver now holds his bachelor’s degree and begins master’s studies in food science at WSU in January. Long term, his sights are set on a career in microbiology, food quality assurance, or product development.
“I’m honored I could represent the college and my major,” Verver said.
Hailing from Mill Creek, Washington, Verver earned college credits in high school before attending WSU. In Pullman, Verver was an active member and officer of the Food Science Club as well as a volunteer CAHNRS student ambassador who helped share opportunities in his college with current and future students. In his spare time, he delved into research as a student assistant in Professor Girish Ganjyal’s food processing and extrusion lab.
Even with his active extracurricular involvement as an undergraduate, Verver maintained an impressive 3.94 GPA and a spot on the President’s Honor Roll every semester since fall of 2021.
“He’s one of the most involved and dedicated students I’ve had the privilege of working with,” commented Ganjyal. “Steven truly embodies the spirit of being a CAHNRS Coug.”
As a master’s student, Verver will continue studying food functionality and characterizing the properties of food. He grew up watching cooking shows, especially programs that explain the science behind food. Those experiences drew him to the discipline.
“I’ve always been interested in food, and I love to cook,” he said. “Once I found out that food science was an area of study, I never looked back.”
Fermented foods are particularly fascinating to Verver.
“Some of the interactions that happen when bacteria or yeast ferment foods seem like magic,” he said. “Now, I get to learn the explanation.”
If there’s one single activity Verver would recommend to other students, it is the annual Food Science Club industry trip. Every spring, members travel to a city and tour several food facilities.
“We see what a food scientist does in the real world, outside of class,” he said. “It’s a way to imagine what you might do down the line, after you complete your education.”
Though a large university can seem overwhelming at first, Verver advises new Cougs to find their people.
“If you break it down by your college, your major, or even a specific club, you’ll find like-minded people who you mesh with and enjoy being around,” he said. “These are the people you spend your time with, and who help you with classwork or even with finding internships and jobs in the future.”
Verver gives kudos to the many people in his college who’ve assisted with questions and challenges along the way.
“Everyone that I’ve interacted with in CAHNRS has been so friendly and helpful,” he said.