Veeramani Karuppuchamy is a fourth year PhD candidate in the department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University. He is a well-qualified candidate for the Phi Tau Sigma Student Achievement scholarship due to his scholastic achievements and exceptional leadership. In his PhD research, Veeramani explores the value-addition of brewers’ spent grains (BSG), a major byproduct of brewery industry, using twin-screw extrusion process. Veeramani has an outstanding GPA of 3.93 in PhD, 3.90 in his second masters’, 4.00 in his first masters’, and 3.68 in his bachelor’s degrees. His most recent MS thesis research was focused on sanitation process in low-moisture foods, a key component for ensuring the safety of foods. He was presented two awards for his academic achievements in his bachelor’s program in agricultural engineering. He is also a recipient of many competitive scholarships and awards from both within and outside Ohio State.

Veeramani has a proven track record of leadership from his graduate studies and food industry experience. He was inducted into Phi Tau Sigma in 2021 and has been a very active member since then. Currently he serves as the vice-president for the Buckeye chapter. He was the president (2023-2024) and workshop/communication chair (2024-2025) academic year. He contributes as a student representative with the IFT Food Safety and Quality Management Division. He is also one of the coordinators for the FoodScience Undergraduate Research Experience (FoodSURE) program. For his leadership skills, Veeramani also received a Graduate Associate Leadership Award (GALA) in 2024.

Prior to resuming his graduate program in 2019, Veeramani worked as a quality assurance/food safety supervisor in the US, where he had shown leadership skills and involved in important decision making. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career as a food safety and quality assurance manager in the food industry.