Delaware Valley University hosted the inaugural Walter and Alma Uebersax Endowed Lectureship in Food Systems on April 1. The event, held this past Wednesday, featured Christopher Urban, senior vice president of growth platforms and partnerships at Dairy Management, Inc., as the first speaker in the new series.
The lectureship was established through an endowment by Mark A. Uebersax, a 1970 graduate and recipient of the university’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1986, and Kristen L. Uebersax. The series honors Mark’s parents for their dedication to supporting higher education for their four sons.
Kevin Ladden from DelVal’s Office of Advancement introduced the story behind the lecture series before Urban’s presentation. “Mark and Kit have made a significant investment in DelVal students with the creation of this lecture series,” said Ladden. “Their vision to bring together industry leaders, faculty, staff and students to discuss food science, dairy and other agricultural disciplines is a prime example of philanthropic leadership and DelVal could not be more grateful for their support.”
Urban addressed alternatives to fluid milk within the dairy industry during his talk. He discussed trends that have influenced product development as well as growing needs for workers specializing in sustainability and research and development. “From 1970 to today, there are so many more dairy products driving the marketplace,” said Urban.
Urban brings over two decades of experience from roles across major companies in consumer packaged goods food and beverage sectors. Before joining Dairy Management Inc., he served as vice president at Kraft Heinz where he led projects such as collaborating with Oprah Winfrey on a start-up venture, advancing sustainability strategies for condiments globally, developing outbound licensing businesses internationally, implementing creative excellence programs for marketers worldwide, and managing brands like Lunchables and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
