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Lianna van der Zalm

Engineering Graduate

About me

Hello, my name is Lianna van der Zalm and I am a recent graduate from the University of Guelph in Biological Engineering. I focused my undergraduate degree on food processing and sustainability in the food and beverage industry. I completed four co-op positions within my undergraduate degree varying through different industries. My first position was with the government focusing on food safety and regulations. The next two positions were in product development / research and development in the food and beverage industry focusing on developing and introducing new products to the plant. My final position was an international research position in Germany helping to develop a processing plant to turn agriculture waste into useful products. I have a lot of project management experience including running a school team of 40 students to design, develop and complete with a formula style race car internationally. I appreciate a good challenge and learn quickly so I am open to any type of work experience. 

Skills and tools

Baking
Plant Based Foods
Beverage
Education/Research
Agriculture
Food Production
Food & Beverages
Team Management

Education

September 2015 -April 2020
Bachelor of Engineering - Biological Engineering
University of Guelph

Work Experience

September 2019 -December 2019
Research and Development Technician
Greenhouse Juice

• Aided in the development of three plant-based milks that are now released on the market• Gained a thorough knowledge of clean-label, organic ingredients and how to utilize them to create a stable product with an over 30-day shelf-life• Worked with a variety of plant machinery to replicate lab samples including homogenizers and UHT (ultra-high temperature) machines, and analysed a UV system to pasteurize the juice to optimize yield

May 2019 -August 2019
Research Assistant
University of Hohenheim, Institute of Agriculture Engineering

• Assisted with the “B4B Biorefinery for Baden-Württemberg” project creating an on-farm small biorefinery to produce platform chemicals• Ran over 80 trials to compare different acid solutions, time and temperature parameters, and analyzed the data on excel to optimize two different processes• Utilized reactors, ovens, microfilters and HPLC gaining hands on experience in laboratory methods

January 2018 -August 2018
Product Development Technician
Chudleigh's Ltd

• Aided in the development of private label products from initial formulas to first production for over 10 products• Assumed an increased responsibility by running 7 full plant trials and over 15 smaller plant trials for new products or modifications without assistance• Assisted the engineering and procurement departments in designing new machinery and introducing new packaging for optimization of the production lines• Oversaw training for a new product development technician in how to properly complete tasks and assist product developers as well as trained plant employees on new manufacturing procedures

May 2017 -August 2017
Horticulture Assistant
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

• Communicated with a wide range of individuals every day explaining government regulations for agriculture goods and gathered required information for the government databases• Followed a strict protocol requiring attention to detail for collecting samples of produce for microbial and chemical contamination testing to ensure if an issue occurred the sample could be traced accordingly• Worked under minimal supervision having a set number of samples to be collected within a strict timeline

January 2009 -August 2016
Greenhouse Employee
Colonial Florists

• Coordinated a work team of up to eight co-workers by clearly communicating job objectives and emphasizing the optimal method of completing those objectives• Worked beyond job requirements and met deadlines using strong time management skills to ensure the completion of daily work orders• Organized planting areas which required having in-depth knowledge of plant varieties and ability to determine optimal layout 

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