Takeaways
- UGA food science student Trang Nguyen transformed a lifelong love of food into hands-on experience through undergraduate research, study abroad programs and industry internships.
- Internships with Chobani and Kraft Heinz gave Nguyen practical experience in food formulation, commercialization and consumer-focused product development.
- Mentorship, global learning experiences and research opportunities have helped Nguyen build a foundation for a career in food science and entrepreneurship.
When Trang Nguyen talks about food, she doesn’t start with science. Instead, she starts with family.
Growing up in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nguyen watched her grandmother gather relatives and friends around tables filled with traditional Vietnamese dishes. Holidays revolved around meals. Conversations happened over shared plates. Food was how people connected.
“My grandma always tried to gather people over,” Nguyen said. “She would host dinner parties and make traditional Vietnamese food. Food has always been a central part of my life.”
Those early experiences eventually carried Nguyen more than 8,000 miles from home to the University of Georgia, where she is now a fourth-year food science and technology major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
Discovering the science of food and agriculture
Today, Nguyen’s fascination with food extends far beyond the dinner table. Through undergraduate research, international travel, industry internships and product development projects, she has built a foundation for a career developing the food consumers see on grocery store shelves.
Along the way, she has learned that creating a food product requires understanding an entire system.
“When I first came in, I just had one thought: I want to do food science,” Nguyen said. “But I didn’t really know everything that was involved.”
Raised in her country’s capital city, Nguyen had limited exposure to agriculture and food production before arriving at UGA.
“I had no clue about farming, dairy or agriculture,” she said with a laugh. “I was the ultimate iPad kid.”
The Department of Food Science and Technology helped change that perspective.
Study abroad and research experiences
Through coursework, research opportunities and UGA Study Away programs, Nguyen began examining food from its origins in fields and farms to its final form in consumer products. She traveled to Uruguay through the CAES study abroad program and participated in opportunities offered through the Foundation Fellowship, experiences that deepened her understanding of global food systems.
“The college really allowed me to understand how food is produced,” Nguyen said. “Not just the food on our tables, but everyone who contributes to that system.”
Research provided another turning point. As a scholar with the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, Nguyen began working in a laboratory during her freshman year. Initially drawn to food chemistry, she eventually discovered her greatest interest was not analytical testing but flavor and product development.
That realization crystallized during a project developing cake mix for a Georgia cobbler company. The project challenged Nguyen to work through multiple iterations while balancing technical requirements and client needs.
“It taught me there are a lot of feedback loops that need to happen before a product moves forward,” she said.
The experience also affirmed what she enjoyed most: creating products that consumers can experience firsthand. That interest soon carried her into research and development.
How industry internships shaped a future food scientist
After conducting sensory science research at Cornell University focused on consumer acceptance and sweeteners in coffee systems, Nguyen secured an internship with Chobani. There, she worked on a zero-sugar creamer platform designed to address consumer concerns about aftertaste.
The project centered on reformulating sweeteners to improve flavor performance when the creamer was mixed with coffee. Nguyen also helped develop a vanilla cinnamon sugar creamer flavor that later reached store shelves.
“It was exciting as a product developer to see a product become commercialized. It’s like a proud-mom moment,” she said.
Over the summer, she interned at Kraft Heinz, where she gained experience on the dairy team and worked with the company’s business-to-business ingredient division. Unlike her work at Chobani, which focused mainly on formulation, her Kraft Heinz internship gave her experience with commercialization and manufacturing.
“I got to see the next step,” Nguyen said. “At Chobani it was about formulation. At Kraft Heinz, it became about scaling up and making sure a product can actually be produced.”
The experience reinforced her interest in research and development, particularly in products driven by consumer preferences and market demand.
Nguyen credits much of her success to faculty mentors who encouraged her to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom.
She points to Faith Critzer, department head for food science and technology and Nguyen’s academic advisor, as one of the most influential figures in her UGA experience.
“She’s supported me every step of the way,” Nguyen said. “She encouraged me to explore opportunities, connect with people and pursue new experiences.”
As an international student navigating academics, research opportunities and professional development, Nguyen said that support helped her build confidence and pursue ambitious goals. Those goals now stretch beyond graduation.
Nguyen is considering both industry positions and the Double Dawgs pathway as she completes her undergraduate degree. Long term, however, she sees entrepreneurship in her future.
“I think my ultimate goal is to have my own food business,” she said.
For now, she hopes to continue building experience in product development while learning more about the industry she loves, building on the motivation that first brought her to food science.
I wanted to find something that I love and that could make an impact on the community,” Nguyen said. “Food has always been a way to connect with people.”
