Simone K. Fishel
Dublin, OH
Food Science and Technology
Department of Food Science and Technology
2020 Distinguished Senior Award Celebration Program (.pdf)
2020 Distinguished Senior Award Recipient Showcase Poster (.pdf)
Simone Fishel’s first internship as Summer Operations Intern in the summer of 2018 was at New Day Farms in Raymond, Ohio, which is a part of Daybreak Foods. This multi-disciplinary internship gave Simone first-hand experience with the raw materials element of the food supply chain for eggs. Simone helped caretakers in the pullet and layer houses to maintain feed and water levels as well as cleanliness. Simone learned the process for washing, breaking, and separating eggs in addition to properly loading a tanker for transport. This experience has given Simone perspective on the resources used to produce a single ingredient that food companies utilize. The second internship she completed was as a Retail Research and Development Intern at T. Marzetti in Lewis Center, Ohio. Simone had the opportunity to work on salad dressing reformulations, learn about the Stage Gate process, which guides the development of a product from inception to launch, and investigate a technology used to measure headspace oxygen, dissolved oxygen, and oxygen permeability. This experience taught Simone the industry standards in Research and Development which will increase her marketability for future R&D positions.
The undergraduate experience Simone found most rewarding was being a member of the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team. Devoting 36 hours per week to the sport, she has excelled as a varsity athlete. Despite days packed with physical and academic challenges, Simone was frequently accomplishing things she did not previously think she was capable of doing. She recounts that this self-growth, getting to know her teammates, and notable highlights such as winning two B1G Championships, all made for a rewarding experience.
Simone has also conducted research as an undergraduate and has assisted with projects for Dr. Yael Vodovotz. These projects researched the water uptake in noodles based off the cooking medium including water and starch solutions, cooking time, and surface attributes of the pasta itself. Simone learned how to prep and run samples.
During Spring semester 2020, Simone began a part-time position at Abbott Nutrition. She has been working on a Product History Index to provide a searchable and complete database to the Product Development team.
Among Simone’s academic honors are: Academic All-Big Ten Spring 2019 | Scholar Athlete (2017, 2018, & 2019) | Dean’s List | Provost scholarship recipient.
After graduation Simone plans to complete a six-month co-op at Nestle Gerber from June to December, 2020. Following this co-op, Simone plans to apply to a master’s program in Food Science and Technology to begin in Spring 2021.
Simone would like to recognize Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Saona as her mentor. Dr. Rodriguez-Saona encouraged Simone to be a successful student-athlete. He always helped Simone find alternative classes and solutions while keeping her on track for graduation and managing the hours needed as an athlete. Dr. Rodriguez- Saona helped her plan the final two semesters at OSU to take advantage of valuable resources and opportunities. He was the first person to suggest that Simone consider graduate school; it was not on her radar, but with his encouragement, Simone became excited for the future ahead.