Hightower is a flavor chemist for the Procter & Gamble Company and recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Scholarly Achievements Award from the College of Health and Human Sciences.
While many students have the will to seek advanced degrees, the way is sometimes blocked by financial struggles. That’s when graduate scholarships can make a difference in training professionals like Dr. Carrita A. Hightower, whose research is behind several flavors of toothpaste and oral care products sold worldwide. The world needs more professionals like her.
What I’ve learned:
About regional tastes
“In the United States we like wintergreen flavoring for oral care products. But Europeans associate that with toilet bowl cleaner, so it’s not going to fly there.”
About lending a hand
“Whether it’s $5 million or $50, we can all help someone along the way through scholarships.”
About perspective
“It’s important to stop periodically and ask myself what I want to be remembered for.”
How did scholarships impact your experience as a graduate student?
“One of the seldom-talked-about effects of receiving a scholarship is the motivation that results. You think, ‘This person donated their hard-earned money. I need to make a return on their investment.’”
What’s the most important lesson you learned at K-State outside the chemistry lab?
“Working in the sensory analysis center and with students in dietetics and in hotel management, I learned it’s about collaboration and partnerships and connections. Even today, I cannot do my job as a flavor -chemist without collaborating with other formulators or consumer researchers.”
What do you enjoy most about your career?
“I love walking into a store, seeing products like Crest Whitening Plus Scope toothpaste and Crest Glamorous White mouth rinse, and saying ‘I helped create that product!’ You need patience — our work can sometimes take years to reach the market. But after more than a decade, I hold three U.S. patents.”
The Pitch
Help more students reach the finish line.
