The Hostos Joint Dual Degree Engineering Program and the Physics Club partnered to organize a field trip for a group of 25 Hostos students science and engineering to tour PepsiCo Global R&D in Valhalla, New York, on April 17. Onna Burleson, the principal engineer, welcomed Hostos students warmly.
During the visit, students learned about the process behind the production and improvement of beverages, including sodas and dairies products and tasted some of the new products that will be launching in the near future. PepsiCo is the parent company of Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Quaker.
Students interacted with engineers, biologists, chemists and other key personnel, including Jan Weststrate, the Senior Vice President, R&D Global Functions. They also toured the Beverage Research lab, the Forensics lab (CSI), the Dairy lab, the Sensory Unit, and the CSD Pilot Plant.
As a result of this project, one of Hostos’ engineering students (NAME?) will be selected for a six-month research internship at the PepsiCo R&D Valhalla facility, starting this summer.
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.