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Abbey the Food Scientist
Food Science for All
A little over two years ago, I started my own YouTube channel sharing food science with the public at a level that just about anyone would be able to understand and appreciate. My aim was to explain how food science impacts everyday life in an intriguing yet educational way.
Part of the inspiration for this channel stems from the fact that I became a food scientist mostly by luck. Growing up I had no idea that the discipline of food science existed, and I essentially stumbled upon it when I was already at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an engineering student.
When I reflect on this “happy accident” it seems absurd how easily my life may have gone a different direction. Since then, I’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree in food science, defended my PhD in food science, and made so many great friends in the field of food science. So, part of my motivation is to get the word out that food science is a great career path. I want young people to realize this is an option that they should consider.
Food science concepts are much more tangible than many other scientific disciplines.
I also enjoy sharing food science since it’s a science everyone can relate to! It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult, we all eat food every day. This makes it the perfect topic to introduce kids to scientific concepts or even ease adults into science who don’t have a scientific background. Since everyone is familiar with food, I’ve found that food science concepts are much more tangible than many other scientific disciplines.
Why sharing your passion for food science?
I love teaching! I realized this when I started serving as a teaching assistant during my PhD where I ended up helping with many different courses like Food Functionality, Food Chemistry, and Senior Capstone. In its own way, my YouTube channel is still teaching people but simply in a different way.
What spurred me to start my own YouTube channel was the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, I was writing my PhD dissertation, which is hard enough in normal times, but I found it even more difficult after being stuck alone in my small apartment. So, my YouTube channel debuted during March 2020 when we first went into lockdown due to COVID.
At the time, I was already blogging about food science and had tossed around the idea of making videos but never took the leap (I even had recorded some videos but never posted them). Let’s just say being locked in my apartment was the final push I needed to formally start the project and my YouTube channel “Abbey the Food Scientist” was born.
Where can we follow you?
You can find me on YouTube. Simply search for the channel “Abbey the Food Scientist.” or follow this button:
I’m also on twitter @abbey_thiel and post my blogs on Medium:
If you prefer something to listen to, I’ve been a guest on the following podcasts:
The Well Seasoned Librarian (Season 2, Episode 11)
About Abigail Thiel
Abbey is a food science blogger, YouTuber, researcher and teacher. She was born and raised in Wisconsin, USA. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Food Science in 2014 and her PhD in 2020. Her research entailed characterizing the microstructure of ice cream and whipped toppings to better understand the occurrence of partially coalesced fat globules. In July 2021, Abbey moved to The Netherlands where she currently works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Food Quality and Design Group. In this role, she performs research, supervises thesis students, and lectures in dairy science classes. In her free time, Abbey is exploring all parts of Europe and learning to mountain bike.