Thet Aung

Thet Aung has a diverse work experience, having worked in a variety of roles in the food industry. In 2012, they began as a Stockroom Assistant at the Virginia Tech Department of Chemistry. That same year, they also worked as a Food Safety Intern for VIRGINIA FOOD WORKS, where they participated in assessments of process quality parameters and quality assurance systems, worked with local farmers to develop safe processes of canned fruits and vegetables, and modified and updated Food Safety and Quality procedures and documents. In 2013, they worked as both a Quality Control Technician and Food Safety Manager at Cuisine Solutions, where they conducted studies of temperature homogeneity of food mixtures and cooking-chilling process, conducted calibration of processing and inspection of equipment, inspected food items for analysis, and managed and trained staff. From 2013 to 2020, they also worked as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, where they completed a Master's degree in Food Science and Technology and conducted research on cell isolation and primary cell culture of marine invertebrates for cultivated seafood production. Finally, in 2022 they began their current role as a Senior Research Associate at Wildtype.

Thet Aung has a Bachelor's Degree in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech, which was obtained between 2009 and 2013. In 2018, they obtained a Continuing and Professional Education from the University of California, Davis in the Winemaking Certificate Program. In 2020, they began a Master's degree in Food Science and Technology at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, which is expected to be completed by 2022. In 2011, they participated in a Summer Study Abroad program in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies at Richmond, The American International University in London. Additionally, Thet Aung has obtained various certifications, such as Developing Your Emotional Intelligence from LinkedIn in 2022, HACCP from the International HACCP Alliance in 2018, BRC Global Standard from Food Safety Issue 8 in 2018, Better Process Control School BPCS Certification from Virginia Tech in 2013, and The Certified Food Scientist (CFS) from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in 2018.