Meg Whitener

About Meg Whitener

Biology, chemistry, metabolomics and genomics, it takes all of this and more to understand yeast and bacterial fermentation. The ability to interpret and relate complex data, good communication and project management skills, are what it takes to be an effective member of a team in the food manufacturing industry. I began accruing these skills with my diverse and multidisciplinary education beginning with a Bachelors degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. I then went on to study the interactions of yeast and lactic acid bacteria at North Carolina State University where I received a Masters degree in Food Science. I continued my analytical chemistry, yeast microbiology and metabolomics education at the Istituto Agrario san Michele All\'adige and for this worked received my PhD in Wine Biotechnology from Stellenbosch University. I\'m now a proud member of the Kalsec family where I get to not only leverage my skills on a daily basis but continue to learn and grow.

Experience

1. Lead Scientist-fermentation

   Kalsec Inc.

   Oct 2023 — Present

   Leading a team that leverages the power of fermentation to maximize all that nature has to offer.

Education

• North Carolina State University

  Master of Science (M.S.), Food Science

  2009 — 2012

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  BS, Biology

  2007 — 2009

• Stellenbosch University

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Wine Biotechnology

  2013 — 2016