A CIFS member working with Cornell students at a recruitment event

Recruit Our Students

As global awareness grows around the essential role of food in human health and well-being, the demand for skilled food scientists continues to rise. Cornell Food Science graduates pursue diverse and impactful careers across the food industry, as well as in government, policy, regulatory agencies, and academic institutions worldwide.

We’re here to support your recruiting efforts and connect you with our talented students and recent alumni. Below, you'll find general guidance for engaging with Cornell Food Science talent. If you have specific needs or questions, we’re happy to provide additional information.

Thank you for your interest in partnering with us—we look forward to helping you connect with the next generation of food science professionals.

To reach students pursuing careers in Food Science, we encourage you to post your open positions on Cornell Handshake, the university’s student job and internship portal. Employers may post full-time roles, internships, and summer opportunities for Cornell students and recent alumni at no cost—with no limit to the number of postings.

If you already have a Handshake account, simply log in and add your job listings, making sure to select Cornell as a target school. If you're new to the platform or need assistance setting up your account, please refer to this step-by-step guide.

In addition, we invite you to share opportunities in Happenings, the Department of Food Science’s weekly newsletter distributed to all Food Science students. To be included, please email your job or internship details to Garrett Downing at gdowning [at] cornell.edu (gdowning[at]cornell[dot]edu).

Most food industry informational events at Cornell are organized by student-led Food Science clubs and are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. These events provide an excellent opportunity for companies to connect directly with students interested in careers in the food industry.

To explore event opportunities, you are welcome to reach out to our student organizations directly:

  • Undergraduate student events: Contact the Food Science Club at foodscienceclub.cornell [at] gmail.com (foodscienceclub[dot]cornell[at]gmail[dot]com)
  • Graduate student events: Contact the Food Science Graduate Student Organization (FSGSO) at fsgso [at] cornell.edu (fsgso[at]cornell[dot]edu)

We encourage you to connect with these groups to coordinate company info sessions, networking events, or other student engagement opportunities.

The Cornell Institute for Food Systems Industry Partnership Program (CIFS-IPP) hosts an in-person Food Systems Career Fair each September exclusively for its corporate membership.  This focused event gives food industry employers direct access to undergraduate and graduate students from across Cornell’s colleges and majors – students who are interested in pursuing careers in all areas of the food system, from R&D, sustainability, supply chain, marketing and more. The fair typically attracts approximately 200 highly motivated students, providing companies with a valuable platform to build brand visibility, engage early with emerging talent, and develop strong candidate pipelines.

CIFS-IPP Member and Affiliate companies receive personalized recruiting support to build and strengthen long-term talent pipelines with Cornell.  Engagement opportunities include participation in student experiential learning and mentorship programs, hosting in-person informational sessions and interviews on our Ithaca campus, and other strategic opportunities to engage with students, postdoctoral and recent alumni.

In addition, the Cornell Institute for Food Systems organizes the annual Cornell Food Hackathon—a product ideation and pitch competition that engages 150 students from across Cornell’s academic degree programs. This high-energy weekend event offers corporate partners sponsorship opportunities to:

  • Mentor interdisciplinary student teams
  • Support food systems innovation and student entrepreneurship, and
  • Connect with student talent across business, science, engineering, design, and other fields.

To explore how your company can engage with Cornell talent through the CIFS-IPP Career Fair, the Cornell Food Hackathon, or other strategic talent development opportunities - including student, postdoctoral and young alumni recruitment - please contact Rajni Aneja, Managing Director, CIFS-IPP via email at cifs-ipp [at] cornell.edu (cifs-ipp[at]cornell[dot]edu).

A student meeting with a CIFS industry member
A CIFS member working with a Cornell student at a recruitment event
A CIFS member working with a Cornell student at a recruitment event
Gallo, a CIFS member, display at the 2025 Recruitment Event
A CIFS member working with Cornell students at a recruitment event
A CIFS member working with Cornell students at a recruitment event
A CIFS member working with Cornell students at a recruitment event
A CIFS member working with a Cornell student at a recruitment event
A CIFS member working with Cornell students at a recruitment event

Cornell also organizes other campus-wide Career Fairs during the year which are open to companies recruiting in all industries.