Committee

Michèle Marcotte, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Dr. Michèle Marcotte is currently the Director of Research and Development at the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (ECORC) located at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa. Michèle obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (Laval), a master’s in food engineering (Alberta) and a Ph.D. in food processing (McGill). She started as a Professional Engineer at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the AAFC’s Food Research and Development Centre located in St. Hyacinthe where she held a successful career for 21 years as a section head of food preservation technologies; a research scientist in Food Processing and Engineering; an advisor to the Director General of the Food Safety and Quality National Science Program. She supervised several cooperative and graduate students in her laboratory. She authored and co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed papers, 120 conference papers and 45 research reports. In February 2009, the Quebec Order of Engineers that regroups more than 50,000 engineers featured a cover story in its monthly magazine on the role of engineering for food safety. Dr. Marcotte also developed a unique two-step drying process for cranberries that was implemented commercially in Quebec. Other significant developments include a prototype pilot oven for the optimization of baking and computer software to establish cooking-cooling cycle for meat products.

In 2009, Dr. Marcotte became the science director based in Ottawa at ECORC and responsible for managing for one of the 7 AAFC national science priorities entitled: “Food and Health”. Michèle was President of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (2006-2007). She is the Canadian representative of the International Association on Engineering and Foods (IAEF) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). Dr. Marcotte received 9 significant awards/prizes: 1) AgCellence Prize from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Innovation) in 1998; 2) two André-Latour Innovation Prizes (1999-2000) of the Foundation INITIA; 3) the prestigious Excellence Prize of Treasury Board from the Canadian Public Service of the Government of Canada in 2000; 4) the Federal Partnership for Technology Transfer (FPTT) in 2003, an Industry Canada award; 5) the Excellence in Research Prize from the Governor’s Foundation of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2004; 6) the John Clark Award of the Canadian Society of Biological Engineers (CSBE) in 2010; 7) the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Branch Recognition for the 125th Anniversary Celebration for her contribution in food processing and engineering in 2011; and finally 8) the W.J. Eva Award of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) for her outstanding contributions to engineering applied to food systems through service in research, training and management in 2012.

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