Biography
Marcia has extensive food safety and product development/innovation experience spanning over 20 years and a well-known speaker and expert in product innovation and new technology commercialization. With experience working for Tofurky, PepsiCo supporting the Naked Emerging Brands innovation team and Starbucks/Evolution Fresh she has been a pioneer in advancing new to the market products, food safety and emerging technologies. Walker helped to pioneer HPP at Fresherized Foods. She oversaw the development and commercialization of avocado, guacamole, fruit, juice and meat items as well as being instrumental in the branding of Wholly Guacamole. Prior, Dr. Walker was at Oregon State University and worked on HPP product development, microbiological validation and sensory analysis. The work was part of a Dept. of Defense grant that included improving combat rations using novel technologies and was critical in the adoption of HPP as a now widely used processing technology.
She also was involved in pioneering an effort to establish the Nonthermal Processing Division of IFT, as well as serving in several leadership roles for them. Marcia assisted in creating the Nonthermal Processing Workshop and Short course and served on the NPD- EFFoST Nonthermal Processing Workshop committee for the past 6 years. Additionally, she has served in many other roles within IFT including regional leadership. Most recently, she was part of the IFT Leadership Development Committee and served as Chair and past chair. Walker received her B.S. in Biology from Gonzaga University, M.S in Food Science and Nutrition from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Oregon State University.