Alumni Spotlight: Dennis Price

Dennis Price, B.S. Animal Sciences; M.S. Animal Sciences; Ph.D. Food Science

Education

B.S. Animal Sciences; M.S. Animal Sciences

Current Position

Director, Total Quality and Food Safety, Red Lobster

About:

I was born and raised in Thibodaux, Louisiana and was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA in my junior high and high school years. I participated in the Meats Judging competitions which led me to my first trip to LSU's campus. I fell in love with the campus and the way of life and knew this was where I wanted to go to college. I applied for a job in Francioni Hall in the meat lab and spent the better part of the next 6 years there. My love of research developed as I helped graduate students work on their projects and propelled me to start my own while an undergraduate. After completing my M.S., I pursued and completed my Ph.D. in Food Science at Oklahoma State University. My first job out of school was in Omaha, Nebraska working as a Research and Development Food Scientist with ConAgra Foods. I developed many meat formulations for items such as Hebrew National, Slim Jim, Marie Callendar's and Healthy Choice. After 5 years, I decided it was time to get closer to home and took a job as a Senior Manager of Food Quality with Darden Restaurants. I was able to support chefs and purchasing from a science perspective for brands like Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Red Lobster, and Capital Grille.

Job Responsibilities:

I am the department head for food quality and food safety at Red Lobster restaurants. I lead a team of food scientists and food safety professionals in understanding the complexities of safely running a restaurant in multiple jurisdictions and sourcing food items from reputable global suppliers. Our team works cross functionally with purchasing, culinary research and development, operations, and finance. We develop safe handling procedures for our restaurants. We identify and collaborate with food suppliers that meet Red Lobster standards. That requires traveling to and inspecting supplier locations and understanding their process engineering.

Favorite LSU Memory:

Attending LSU definitely did not disappoint when it came to making memories. From the roommates and friends, to the game days, to the classes, all will be cherished forever. But my favorite memory of my entire time was the first day of my first class. I can remember sitting in my truck on a very early morning in the football stadium parking lot. I didn't know what to expect, I just knew that this experience would change my life forever. It was a quiet Monday morning and as I passed the buildings on my walk, I had this wave of energy wash over me that signaled to me, I was an LSU Tiger.

What advice do you have for current and prospective LSU Agriculture students?

Trying to figure out what you want to be in life is tough. Just when you think you have it figured out, someone or something throws you a curve ball. There are many jobs out there, but you may have to feel comfortable being uncomfortable for a bit. Never settle for a role where you feel undervalued. You know what you went through to get to where you are. You must be ok taking control of your career and driving it in the direction you want to go. Agriculture jobs are more than just farming and working outside. I always get asked, "how did you get into food science?" and my response is always, "knowing that people have to eat is pretty good job security." I started out as a kid from the bayou working as a lab tech in a very small lab. Now I run a food safety and food quality department for a 50+ year old nationally recognized restaurant chain that has over 700 locations and sources food from all over the world.

Awards and Honors:

• 2001 LSU College of Agriculture Research Grant Recipient
• 2002 LSU College of Agriculture Research Grant Recipient
• 2008 North American College Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Recipient
• 2008 OSU Meat Science Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year
• 2008 2nd Place Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting Doctoral Research Paper Competition
• 2008 2nd Place American Meat Science Association (AMSA) Annual Meeting Doctoral Research Paper Competition