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.