Awards

Dr. Robert Smith started his education at McGill University of Montreal where he received his Bachelors and Masters in Animal and Poultry Nutrition. He then came to the University of Illinois and completed his PhD in Animal Sciences and Biochemistry in 1963. He then began his illustrious career as a research scientists in the Department of Agriculture with the Government of Canada and then later The Quaker Oats Company. His talents were recognized and rewarded with frequent promotions over his ten year tenure ending with the position of Vice President of Research Foods. During this period he led the research responsible for the development of several new products; he introduced a host of new technologies that led to improved efficiencies and most importantly demonstrated his leadership abilities.

Dr. Smith was employed as head of research for Swift and Company and Del Monte then in 1985 he joined Nabisco Foods as Senior Vice President of Corporate Research. In this position he had a significant impact on a major segment of the food industry. Nabisco, under Dr. Smith’s leadership, was a pioneer in the area of Nutrition Labeling through the development of scores of nutritionally positioned products. Under Dr. Smith’s guidance, approximately 25% of Nabisco’s sales were from products that were less than two years old. Dr Smith was also influential in the production of the Snackwell line of low/no fat cookies and crackers and the development of a reduced calorie structured lipid called Salatrim.

Dr Smith has also served on a range of prestigious organizations like: The “Food & Nutrition Board” of the National Academies of Sciences, “The Institute of Medicine Food Forum” and the “Committee for Agricultural Biotechnology, Health and the Environment to name a few. Dr Smith has also won awards for his hard work including “Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists”, “Dr Earl W. Crampton Award for Distinguished Service in Nutrition” and the “Gamma Sigma Delta Award of Merit”. Dr Smith has given back to the University of Illinois by serving as an adjunct faculty member and as a member of the External Advisory Council of the College of ACES. He has also helped establish a segment of the Jonathan Baldwin Scholarship for food students.

From the nomination letter written by Guy Johnson it states “Dr. Robert Smith is an exceptional candidate for the Award of Merit. His professional and private activities have made a substantial impact on the food industry, the nutrition/food safety community and the communities in which he has lived. Dr Smith is an outstanding alumnus of the College of ACES and is a visible and exemplary representative of the University of Illinois.”