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Lester Schonberger

Associate Extension Specialist
Lester Schonberger
124A Food Science and Technology Building (0418)
360 Duck Pond Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
hlschon@vt.edu
(540) 232-2039
ResearchGate Profile


Education

  • Ph.D., Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, 2020
  • B.S., Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, 2015


Professional Appointments

2022 – Present: Senior Research Associate, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech

2020 – 2022: Research Associate, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech

2019 – 2020: Graduate Teaching Assistant for Food Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech

2016 – 2019: Graduate Assistant, The Campus Kitchen, VT Engage, Virginia Tech


Courses Taught

  • FST 2014: Introduction to Food Science (Fall 2021)
  •  FST 2244: Topics in FST (Co-Taught, Spring 2022)


Honors and Awards

  • 2020: Dr. Randolph Grayson Outstanding College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Diversity Scholar Award, Virginia Tech
  • 2019: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Student Travel Scholarship, IAFP
  • 2018: Extra Mile Award, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech


Professional Memberships

  • Fellow: Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Associate: Virginia Tech Food Studies Program, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Member: Journal of Food Protection Editorial Board
  • Member: Institute of Food Technologists
  • Member: International Association for Food Protection
  • Member: Conference for Food Protection
  • Member: Phi Tau Sigma, The Honor Society of Food Science and Technology

My integrated research and extension work centers on food security as it relates to all people being able to access safe, quality, culturally appropriate food. 

Project Examples:

  • Identifying food safety risks and developing educational materials for use by food handlers in food recovery (e.g., gleaners) and hunger-relief organizations (e.g., food banks, food pantries)
  • Farm and farmers market food safety education programs 
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Food Volunteer programming 
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension home food preservation programming
  • Addressing food safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Education and outreach addressing novel food processing technologies