Stephanie received BA degrees in Chemistry and Spanish from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. During her undergraduate experience, she performed collaborative research on metal analysis of local Iowa water and soil samples with Luther chemistry professor Dr. Molly Wilker. Additionally, Stephanie enjoyed the opportunity to continue her chemistry studies at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. her junior year. Stephanie first gained interest in the field of food science and flavor chemistry through pondering the sensations of spicy food, listening to audiobooks, and shadowing food scientists in the industry. Currently a PhD student at The Ohio State University under the direction of Dr. Devin Peterson and FREC, Stephanie is researching the pathways of flavor generation in plant-derived proteins.
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing competitive tennis and not-so-competitive table tennis. She also loves attending food festivals, learning new languages, and playing strategic board games and Texas Hold ‘Em poker.