Hall of Fame, 2017
Carol Karahadian
In 2017, Carol Karahadian started a new venture, C. Karahadian & Associates, LLC, a sensory and consumer science consulting company with a specialty in the technical measurement of sensory perception. This is the culmination of a 30-career with outstanding results in international business, research and public education to a wider audience of consulting clients. Her deep experience has cultivated a diverse, world-wide network of clients, co-workers and industry experts.
Prior to this new endeavor, Carol was Director of Global Sensory and Ingredient Technology in the R&D Division at Starbucks Coffee Company for over 5 years. During her tenure at Starbucks, she and her team created global sensory quality programs in coffee, tea, juice and food categories. Additionally, in her Ingredient Technology role, she conducted fundamental research on coffee and dairy interactions that influence consumer acceptance of coffee/dairy beverages.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Carol worked for Firmenich, Inc. as VP of Global Sensory and Consumer Research in the Flavor Division for 17 years. While there, she established a global network for sensory and consumer testing of beverage, sweet and savoury products. She established their Flavor Division for global sensory and consumer insights strategy in support of flavour sales and she set up a global descriptive testing center in Mumbai, India which included facilities development, personnel recruitment, training and performance testing. She also managed 20 sensory professionals located around the world to provide seamless sensory and consumer insight to support local and global initiatives.
She earned her Ph.D. degree in food science with an emphasis in flavour chemistry and sensory evaluation from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she also obtained an MS degree. Her undergraduate degree in food science is from UC Davis. After she completed her PhD, she took a position with Stanislaus Food Products in California before joining the faculty at University of Maryland.
In 1992 she joined the faculty of what is now the Department of Nutrition Science at Purdue. She taught undergraduate and graduate courses in food science (lipids, flavours, flavour chemistry) and sensory evaluation in addition to carrying out an active research program and mentoring graduate students. She made significant contributions while she was here and paved the way for the increased sensory emphasis which has become a hallmark in this department under Rick Mattes.
She is a long term active member of the Sensory Evaluation Division of IFT, The Society of Sensory Professionals and the American Chemical Society. She was the recipient of the 2013 Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) Women of the Year Honoree.
Carol’s desire is “….to bring my leadership and organizational skills to an organization that improves people’s lives…real results come from communicating strategy, teaching and mentoring, and honouring the culture of those I lead. I am looking for a challenge that makes a difference in the lives of others.”
Bridget McGarvey Morel
Bridget McGarvey Morel is a 1984 graduate of this department with a BS in Food Science. She is currently Director of Consumer Affairs for Kellogg North America and is responsible for contact center operations to provide timely consumer service to answer questions about the Kellogg family of brands, foods and promotions. She manages outsourced contact center relationships as well as internal staff in support of Kellogg consumers in North America.
Through the course of her career in consumer affairs, she has focused on the development and delivery of messaging about the company, products, promotions, nutrition topics and social responsibility, all with a mind to communicating transparently while protecting Kellogg Company’s reputation. She has designed programs to gain consumer feedback and provide insights back to the business for development of future products and promotions.
A special interest for her has been development of people with food backgrounds into roles in consumer affairs, as a food or nutrition background is key to translating consumer feedback into insights for the business in a food company. She says, “As time has gone by, new channels of communications have opened with the people who purchase and eat our foods. The work of consumer affairs has not changed…we have always been in the business of communicating to and supporting our customers with respect and genuine appreciation for their business.”
Bridget’s work in other areas at Kellogg gives her depth of experience and knowledge, which feeds into her current work in Consumer Affairs. Previously, as Quality Program Manager, Ingredients, she managed supplier relationships and ingredient specifications in concert with product development and manufacturing functions to ensure quality ingredient delivery for consistent product quality.
She has also had responsibilities in Market Research, Product Development and Advanced Technology. In those three areas, respectively, she managed product and advertising research for breakfast brands and foods among consumers and brand loyalists, including quantitative and qualitative research. She developed cereal products focusing on fruit additives, managing technical aspects to optimize taste and texture. For Advanced Technology, she worked as part of a team on product and engineering specifications for new equipment and manufacturing process design.
Bridget is married to Louis and they have three adult daughters, Caroline, Patricia and Valerie. Her interests include travel, gardening and cooking. She is planning retirement and in that new life season she hopes to reconnect with friends and to rekindle interest in reading, needle arts and quilting.
Nancy W. Quan
Nancy Quan graduated from this department in 1989 with a dual major in Food Science and Nutrition Science. She has taken additional management training through the years, including the MIT Sloan Management Executive Strategy and Innovation in 1991 and the Kellogg School of Management Executive Leadership Program in 2015. She has had a remarkable career and is currently the Chief Technical Officer, Coca-Cola North America and Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company.
Her areas of responsibility include Research & Development; Technical Operations and Commercialization; Quality, Safety and Environment; and Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. Nancy and her team are responsible for creating, driving and executing an impactful innovation and growth agenda; commercializing successful solutions throughout the supply chain; ensuring effective, forward looking governance and stewardship; and protecting the business with strategic scientific and regulatory solutions and strong advocacy.
Prior to this role, Nancy held the role of Global R&D Officer for the Coca Cola Company, where she was responsible for setting the global R&D vision, strategy and priorities. She led the Corporate Research and Engineering functions and oversaw the External Technology Acquisition (ETA) function, through which Coca-Cola structures strategic partnerships with universities, research centers, technology start-ups, and others to source technologies for sustained competitive advantage.
Nancy joined Coca-Cola in 2007 as R&D General Manager for Europe and Eurasia Group, where she was based in Belgium. Following this, she moved to Atlanta where she took on the role of Vice President Innovation. Nancy then moved to Shanghai, China to take on the role of Vice President R&D, Pacific Group and was responsible for the Shanghai, Japan and India R&D centers.
Nancy has extensive experience leading R&D and Innovation organizations around the world. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Nancy worked with Mars Incorporated and held leadership roles spanning R&D, Business Development, and Manufacturing. Nancy’s career has been global and multi-cultural in nature; as she has built strong teams across a range of countries and cultures, including the US, the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, China, Japan, India and Australia. She speaks four languages with some level of fluency, Native English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese and Dutch.
She is co-chair of the Coca-Cola United Way campaign, and a Tocqueville society member. In her career, she has received various recognitions, including: Top 40 Women in Innovation, Outstanding Alumni Award, and Diamond of the Department at Purdue University. She serves on the Industry Affiliates Advisory Board for the University of California- Davis MBA Program, Food & Ag Sector; is on the Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Executive Committee for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the (R) Tech Advisory Council for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and has served on the Technical Advisory Board for Beverage Partners Worldwide, Ltd.
Bonnie Graham Rabert
Inspired by a neighbor's career as a Food Consultant, Bonnie attended Purdue from 1960-64 to major in Foods in Business and Foods in Research. After graduation she went to work for The Quaker Oats Company as a test kitchen home economist, doing recipe development, food styling; planning and prop styling for photography; copy writing and new product concepts. After two years she went to Leo Burnett USA Advertising Agency, where she did food styling for print photography and film, representing clients at photo sessions. She worked on new product concepts and recipe development for 8 national food accounts.
In 1970, Bonnie formed her own freelance consulting business specializing in food styling for photography, recipe development and new product concepts. She also mentored several assistant food stylists who continue to work in that field. She represented clients such as Better Homes & Gardens, Sara Lee, Cuisine Magazine, Wendy's, McDonald's, Pillsbury, Thomas' English Muffins, and the "Noteworthy" Cookbook for the Ravinia Festival.
She took a two-year hiatus in London in the mid-eighties, where she consulted for numerous clients, including: Taste Magazine, A La Carte Magazine, and “Good Housekeeping All‑American Cookbook."
She returned to Chicago in 1988, and resumed her consulting business, food styling for print and film photography; recipe development and testing; teaching food styling seminars; new product ideation and concepts. She made personal appearances and was the area Testing Chairman and Food Stylist for the “Noteworthy two” Cookbook for the Ravinia Festival. A sampling of her clients at this time were: Kym Abrams Design; American Girl; Bay's English Muffins, Kraft General Foods, Meredith Publications, Nat'l Livestock & Meat Board, Pillsbury, Sara Lee, The Quaker Oats Company; Sedelmaier Productions including “Where's the Beef” and other commercials.
In 2000, she and her husband Daryl retired to St Simons Island, Georgia, where she teaches the occasional cooking class and is active in the community. She co-chairs the Hunger Action Team at her church, a new outlet for her food background. The Hunger Action Team provides healthy snacks to the 10 grammar and 4 middle schools in Glynn County, as well as 39 backpack inserts per week and 110 family food boxes to help families bridge the gap during periods of time when students do not have school breakfast and lunch provided.
Bonnie has risen to many leadership roles over the years, starting as a Residence Hall Counselor and Officer in the Purdue Drill Team Auxiliary while at Purdue. She has directed a Charity Musical Review for her Women's Club; chaired a fundraiser for Les Dames d'Escoffier, Chicago Chapter; President of the Sea Island Ladies Golf Association and head of the Landscape Committee for their Homeowners Association.
Her artistic pursuits have transferred from food styling, photography and film to a new career as a watercolor artist with a website: bonnierabert.com and a Watercolors by Bonnie Rabert Facebook page. In the midst of all these activities, she says there is still time for golf and traveling, too.
