Chris Reusz

The 2025 William F. Jaggard Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Christopher Reusz from North Carolina State University. Chris is currently a 2 nd year PhD candidate in Food Science under the direction of Dr. MaryAnne Drake with an expected graduation date in 2027. Prior to NCSU, Chris attended Kansas State University where he received his bachelor’s degrees in Bakery Science, Food Science, and Spanish with minors in Chemistry and International Agriculture. During his time at K-State, Chris sparked his interest in flavors through his summer studying viticulture and oenology in Toulouse, France and his semester studying viticulture and wine tourism in Mendoza, Argentina. Ultimately, it was through his undergraduate internship in bakery applications and flavor compounding at International Flavors and Fragrances that Chris solidified his passion for flavor and fragrance chemistry. Before leaving Kansas, Chris received his certification as a commercial bakery technologist from the American Institute of Baking.

Chris is currently a PhD candidate under the direction of Dr. MaryAnne Drake where he specializes in dairy flavor chemistry and sensory science. Prior to his PhD candidacy, Chris completed his master’s degree in food science within the same lab. Chris’s master’s thesis was entitled the flavor chemistry of cream cheese. This research aimed to create an understanding of the role of sensory properties on consumer acceptance of cream and Neufchatel cheeses. Through the correlation of GC-O/GC-MS aroma active compound identification/semi-quantitation data to descriptive sensory analysis and consumer acceptance/purchasing intent data, a comprehensive understanding of the desires/demands of US cream cheese consumers was collected. Additional to this thesis was a literature review covering the formation, identification, impact, and stability of lactones in fermented dairy products.   Chris’ current doctoral research investigates heat load indicators for tracking heat treatment of dairy products and protein beverages. LC-MS quantitation of protein degradation, chemical intermediate formation/degradation, and final product formation during sample heating coupled with FTIR analysis will create a model system for rapid determination of heat load applied to dairy products.

Through Chris’ studies and internship experiences, he has fostered a fiery passion for flavor and fragrance chemistry. This passion has bled outside of the workplace into one of his most recent hobbies: self-taught perfumery. With his foundational perfumery knowledge Chris aims to explore the world of fragrance creation in hopes of making fragrances that can connect personal experiences, core memories, and emotions to scent. Ultimately, Chris strives to attain a job within a flavor house conducting flavor identification, synthesis, or modulation research.