Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient
Noel Anderson '74, '77 MS, '80 PhD
Dr. Noel Anderson is vice president of Worldwide Analytical & Technical Insights at PepsiCo, which includes the Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Quaker and Gatorade brands. In this role he leads the analytical, microbiological, documentation, information management and statistics functions as well as the beverage applications team. Before joining PepsiCo in 1998, Anderson worked in various positions in research and development at General Foods and Kraft for 18 years.
Anderson has led research and product development across numerous product categories, delivering significant innovations in the market place. He holds three patents for his work with gelatin and gelled confections while working with Kraft.
In 2010, Anderson was elected as an Institute of Food Technologist Fellow for creating collaborations between industry, government, and international groups, and for his work with universities and students to promote continuums between the academic and professional sectors. He is currently the Chair of the Food Science Advisory Board at UMass Amherst, leading major fundraising efforts for research programs, food science conferences, and scholarships, as well as assisting in technology transfer opportunities between academia and 26 food companies.