UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Penn State alumna Sherri Slocum thinks back to what first inspired her to pursue food science, the memory that comes to mind involves a special wooden spoon. In preschool at the time, Slocum remembers using her mother’s easy-to-grip, short-handled wooden spoon to stir packaged pudding mixes and milk on the stove. Many of her fondest memories with her mother in the kitchen involve that wooden spoon.
From those early days helping in the kitchen to food-oriented 4-H projects in her youth, Slocum’s interest in the culinary world continued to grow through college and graduate school. Now retired after a successful career in food science at some of the most well-known companies in the world, Slocum has updated a previous estate commitment for a graduate award in the Department of Food Science in the College of Agricultural Sciences and The Arboretum at Penn State to now include additional graduate student support in food science.
“I am, as always, humbled by the generosity of our alumni and friends,” said Bob Roberts, professor and department head. “Finding funding for students is a constant battle, and Sherri’s continuing generosity will allow our department to support other students seeking to pursue their food science dreams. We are also excited about having a dedicated writing award. This will undoubtedly be an incentive to graduate students and will give ‘bragging rights’ to the annual recipient.”
Through her estate commitment, Slocum will create the Wooden Spoon Graduate Support Endowment in Food Science, which will enable the Department of Food Science to offer scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for students pursuing a graduate-level degree in food science. Funds also will support the Wooden Spoon Graduate Research and Writing Award in Food Science, recognizing candidates for a graduate degree in the department who have written an outstanding paper, thesis or dissertation. Additionally, Slocum has earmarked funds to provide unrestricted support to the arboretum, enabling the director to use the support where it is needed most at a given time.
Slocum grew up on a small farm in South Dakota and attended South Dakota State University (SDSU) for her undergraduate degree in food science. When she was deciding where to go to graduate school, a professor and Penn State alumnus who worked at SDSU, Thomas Gilmore, encouraged Slocum to consider Penn State. In addition to discovering that the food science program aligned with her interests, it was the people and the financial assistance that sealed the deal for Slocum.
“I was really impressed with the professors and students I was able to talk with on the phone,” she said. “They all seemed so happy to be there and enthusiastic about their work. Penn State also offered me a full-time assistantship, which made pursuing a graduate program possible for me.”
Initially planning to pursue only a master’s degree, which she earned in 1985, Slocum’s adviser, Arun Kilara, extended her assistantship and enabled her to stay and explore other food product technologies as she worked toward her doctorate. After graduating in 1990, Slocum took a job with Häagen-Dazs in New Jersey doing product development.
Slocum eventually moved to Minneapolis, closer to home, and spent 10 years working for Pillsbury before it was purchased by General Mills. She left General Mills after 20 years and finished out her career with Nestlé as a principal scientist.
Looking back, Slocum said she realized that she had made her childhood dreams come true.
“I clearly knew from very early on that I wanted to pursue food science despite it not being a well-known career option back then,” Slocum explained. “In high school, I told my counselor that I was going to get my degree in food science, move to Minneapolis and work for Pillsbury or General Mills. I got to work for both.”
Slocum said she is thankful for the support she received as a student at Penn State and how her education paved the way for a successful career, which is why she wants to help the next generation of food science students.
“I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had without the financial support I received, even as an undergrad, thanks to scholarships and grants," Slocum said. "If I can help someone else live their dreams through these awards, I want to do that. I also hope these will help the department recruit more talented students to the programs.”
Slocum noted that she is happy she can make an impact through philanthropy. She regularly contributes to the Professor Arun Kilara Memorial Graduate Student Award in Food Science in memory of her adviser. And while the arboretum didn’t exist while she was a student, Slocum supports it because she said she believes it’s an excellent addition to the area.
“The arboretum is a great promotion of what agricultural work can do and how it can benefit the community,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place, and I try to visit it whenever I’m on campus.”
Slocum encouraged others interested in philanthropy to work with the Office of University Development at Penn State.
“The individuals I worked with in development helped me think through how I could benefit the college and the students best,” she said. “Tapping into their expertise and developing an understanding of the needs of the college was very helpful and allowed me to find the right place to make an impact. ... Ultimately, I’m a person that thinks about what’s right for the greater good. Helping others and providing opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t exist helps all of us.”
Donors like Slocum advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grows our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.