Dr. James Albrecht has worked in the food industry for the past 50 years and has been associated with major corporations such as International Minerals & Chemicals, the Coca-Cola Company, the Nestle Company, and McCormick & Co. He retired from McCormick & Co. in 1998 after serving 15 years in a variety of general management positions. His last position was that of Vice President – Science and Technology.
Dr. Albrecht has BS and MS degrees in Food Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a PhD degree from the University of Illinois in Food Science & Human Nutrition. He also holds an MBA degree from the University of Chicago. He received the 2011 University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Award of Merit. He also has received the 2021 Alumni Service Award from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
He has authored numerous papers dealing with the general areas of product development and flavor technology, and has considerable background in the fields of international marketing and business development. His current interests center around sustainability of global food and water supplies, including “smart farming”, vertical and urban farming.
He has been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Illinois and the University of Baltimore. Dr. Albrecht was a member of the International Advisory Council for the Monell Chemical Senses Center; the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs; the Advisory Board for the Institute for Food Safety & Health at Illinois Institute of Technology. He is the Past-President of the Volunteer Auxiliary Board at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.
He currently serves as a charter member of the Board of Directors of the World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore. In 2017 he established two WTCI fellowship programs for high school students (Youth Diplomats) and college undergraduates (Global Possibilities for Students) to give students an early understanding and appreciation of the importance of the international business community.
Dr. Albrecht is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists and a Certified Food Scientist (CFS). He has also served as a member of the IFT Board of Directors, and currently serves on the Editorial Board of Food Reviews International. He was the 2013 recipient of the Calvert Willey Award for distinguished service to the Institute.