National Chemistry Week: An Interview with Ingredion’s Mabel Chacko

JerseySTEM recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mabel Chacko, project leader at Ingredion Incorporated during National Chemistry Week to learn more about what Mabel does to help improve people’s lives through chemistry.

Editor’s note: Ingredion is a sponsor of JerseySTEM helping to ensure underserved youth in New Jersey have access to STEM education. 

JerseySTEM: Tell us about your background and what you do at Ingredion.

Mabel: I studied biology and chemistry in college and now I’m a project leader at Ingredion specializing in food science.  The area of food science is so exciting for me, the aspect of working with different foods each day – ice cream, salad dressings, yogurt – the variety of things I could get into is really cool.

JerseySTEM: What excites you about the work that you do at Ingredion?   

Mabel: I get the opportunity to work with customers on a variety of accounts. My main area of focus is in starch-based texturizers and I work with customers to recommend products and find solutions to meet their needs. There are times when we need to create new products and when we do this, I work with our research and development teams to figure out combinations of ingredients to use that will create different textures and different outcomes. Think about salad dressing, for example. In order to get the right consistency and texture, we need to add the right kind and amount of starch and also to make sure they are stable over time and maintain a high quality product. I also work with my colleagues to modify foods to make them OK to swallow for people with a health condition called dysphagia (pronounced: dis-phaa-gi-a) where it takes a lot of time and effort to swallow food. Instant starches come in handy when trying to make ingredients and foods that people with dysphagia can swallow. 

JerseySTEM: Why is STEM important to you?  

Mabel: STEM is in everything we do, everyone uses an aspect of STEM each day. It’s a stepping stone to help us advance further from where we are now as a society and improving life for humankind. When I was a kid, it wasn’t such a big focus but now the tide has turned. I have kids and I’m so happy to see them exposed to this way of thinking in school and see how STEM helps build critical skills. STEM creates opportunities to ask questions like what if, could you do this??  I truly love that part of STEM!

JerseySTEM: How does what you do at Ingredion help you give back to your community?

Mabel: I am so excited by the opportunities that Ingredion exposes me to everyday. Knowing that the possibilities are endless is very motivating. I also really appreciate the opportunity to share what I’ve learned about food science through volunteer work at  schools and daycares and take the time to talk to children about careers in food science. Bringing experiments and demonstrations into classrooms and watching children get to learn in a hands-on way is really neat. Kids are typically excited about predicting how experiments will work and using different ingredients to make starches turn into powder and mixing liquids in to see the end result. Experiments like these helped as a parent during the pandemic to keep my kids engaged and interested in learning. I really enjoy seeing things through the eyes of a child and for the opportunity to help shape the way they approach different aspects of life. 

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Visit www.ingredion.com to learn more! 

Celebrating the achievements to STEM from the Hispanic community

The field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has witnessed remarkable contributions from individuals around the world, with the Hispanic community playing a crucial role in shaping advancements across various disciplines. From space exploration to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, the Hispanic community has consistently demonstrated their dedication and innovation.

In September we celebrate  Hispanic Heritage Month. JerseySTEM highlights some of the most notable STEM contributions from the Hispanic community. 

Her STEM journey began at an early age, marked by her curiosity and passion for space exploration. Córdova’s achievements culminated in her becoming the youngest Chief Scientist of NASA in 1993, and the first Hispanic woman in the role, a testament to her dedication and intellect. Her contributions have significantly influenced space research, fostering a new generation of scientists and engineers.

She made history as the first Hispanic woman to venture into space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993. Beyond her role as an astronaut, Ochoa’s background as an engineer and inventor has further solidified her place in STEM history. 

A brilliant physicist, he made significant strides in the fields of particle physics and nuclear science. Among his many notable achievements is the Nobel Prize in Physics he was awarded in 1968. The American Journal of Physics called Alvarez “one of the most brilliant and productive experimental physicists of the twentieth century.” Alvarez’s contributions continue to be studied and acknowledged as pivotal to our understanding of nuclear physics.

A Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner in 1995, his groundbreaking research revealed the detrimental effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the ozone layer, leading to a global awakening on environmental issues. Molina’s commitment to raising awareness about climate change and advocating for sustainable practices has made a lasting impact on both scientific and policy spheres.

His discovery that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever marked a pivotal moment in the understanding of disease transmission. His research laid the foundation for subsequent breakthroughs in epidemiology and public health, saving countless lives and reshaping medical practices. In 1962, the Cuban government established the “Finlay Medical History Museum” in honor of his contributions. 

The Hispanic community has enriched the world of STEM with a diverse array of contributions that span space exploration, physics, environmental science, public health, and many more fields. But their representation in the STEM workforce is far behind.

Meet Sriya – JerseySTEM Program Instructor

One would think that middle school kids in a Friday after-school activity would be somewhat tired after a long week. But if you stop by the MySTEM Club classroom at Robert Treat Academy in Newark between 3:30-5:30pm each week, you’ll hear and see an infectious energy. From the opening icebreaker that usually involves talk about fashion to the final minutes spent in joyful dancing to “Cotton-Eyed Joe”, Sriya Jidugu’s class is far from ordinary. But that’s not surprising once you get to know Sriya.  

Born in India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, Sriya came to live in New Jersey with her family when she was young. Her youth was spent in suburban communities not far from the urban NJIT Newark campus, a place she says “feels like home.” What she likes most about NJIT is that it’s a small community where becoming a well-rounded person is a priority. If she had attended a different university she wonders if she would be as confident and out-going as she is now.

As a member of the NJIT Honors program, she is required to complete fifteen hours of on-campus service as well as fifteen service hours within the greater Newark community. This brought Syria and her many talents to JerseySTEM, but she has been applying her talent and enthusiasm to various programs since high school as a peer mentor to underclassmen and summer tutor for special needs kids.

Sriya is a bundle of energy. She is running for election as the NJIT student senate biochemistry representative, dances with the student Ehsaas dance team, and mentors local high schoolers about STEM career paths as part of the Lyra club. So how does she find the time and motivation to be such an inspiring Program Instructor for JerseySTEM?  “I just like to make people happy,” is how she explains it. And that she does, as evident by the hugs she receives every Friday from the girls who race to her MySTEM Club classroom. “Working with the younger kids is especially rewarding,” she beams.   

Due to her academic standing at NJIT, Sriya gets to be a part of a research team studying medical practices in 19th century Turkey. While not an assigned part of her course load, it is her favorite area of research. Maybe that’s why she plans to attend med school to study neuroscience after receiving her undergraduate degree.   

Although it doesn’t seem like there are any hours unaccounted for in her week, Sriya fits in some occasional down-time. When not in class, studying, dancing, or volunteering, she can be found challenging friends in crocheting competitions or perfecting her stove-top cooking skills.  Her specialty— jalapeno mac-n-cheese! It seems appropriate for someone with such a zest for life. 

Learn more about volunteering with JerseySTEM at https://www.jerseystem.org/program-instructor

Dishant Modi – JerseySTEM Volunteer Success Story

Volunteering for JerseySTEM can sometimes lead to an exciting career opportunity. That’s what happened for Dishant Modi, 26, who is originally from Gujarat, a state along the western coast of India.

After receiving his Master’s Degree in Data Analytics from Northeastern University in Boston, Dishant worked as a business intelligence developer consultant. He eventually answered a JerseySTEM LinkedIn posting seeking a volunteer with his technical expertise. Dishant soon became a data analyst intern at JerseySTEM, joining the team the Balu Vemburaj, an agile coach/project manager at JerseySTEM, supervises.

From mid-February through mid-August 2022, Dishant collaborated with the team on Jira software on which they managed their projects. He leveraged data from multiple domains and sources to build dashboards and reported on volunteer activity, plus participated in weekly virtual team meetings to discuss and plan other analytical projects.

It turns out that Balu, who is also a senior director at Akamai Technologies, Inc., needed someone with similar skills for his team at his company. He offered Dishant a job as a data analyst in late August 2022.

“I believe it’s important to volunteer and contribute to society by helping people not privileged as you are,” says Dishant. Being a volunteer at JerseySTEM allowed him to demonstrate his abilities, which led to his job offer. “There are many similarities between the volunteer work I did for JerseySTEM and my new job,” says Dishant.