Set for Oct. 11 at the Bryce Jordan Center, Ag Career Day is an excellent venue for any undergraduate student looking for an internship or full-time job — just ask senior food science major Evan Azzara.

After decades of research aimed at improving the yield, appearance and safety of fruits, vegetables and grains, it's time to focus science on the health benefits those foods can provide, according to a cancer researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

As happens with many Penn State students, an internship led to a good job for John-Claude Lacroix. The recent Food Science graduate was hired by Stauffer's — maker of cookies and crackers — after he interned with the York, Pennsylvania, company during his sophomore and junior years.

The College of Agricultural Sciences’ Ag Career Day, set for Oct. 20 at the Bryce Jordan Center, is a great opportunity for students to interact and meet future employers. For recent graduate Anh Tran, attending last year’s event led to a full-time job with the largest single-location mushroom farm in the world — Giorgi Mushroom Company.

From attending interesting meetings to writing company newsletters to approving product sales, Paige Smoyer found that working as a food safety intern was a fast-paced and intriguing experience.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Kerry Kaylegian was fond of cheese. That changed during a trip to New York City when she was 14, and she developed a passion for cheese. Now a dairy research and extension associate in the Department of Food Science at Penn State, Kaylegian has built a national reputation as a judge in cheese competitions.

Thanks to Pennsylvania's strong agricultural industry, state residents enjoy an abundance of fresh, safe, quality foods. It can be easy to take the safety of the food supply for granted, but food companies -- with help from Penn State -- work hard to ensure the products they provide are as safe to consume as they are healthful and delicious.

This is the time of year when we gather to feast on roasted turkey, stuffing and other fixings. For many, it will be the first time they will prepare a holiday dinner, while for others, it will be the latest of many memorable occasions. But those memories should not revolve around foodborne illness, according to a Penn State expert.