Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Ph.D.
M.S. Chemistry 1992
Ph.D. Chemistry 2003
2025 College of Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
School of Chemistry & Biochemistry
A double Jacket, Sepcic Pfeil earned her master’s and Ph.D. in chemistry at Georgia Tech. She is a distinguished Ph.D. chemist and sommelier with an illustrious career spanning over 25 years in food and product design with renowned companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi, and Frito-Lay. Her executive experience in R&D and innovation of consumer packaged goods provides a proven track record of launching innovation on core and emerging brands for the world’s leading soft drink and snack food industries. She is a scientific leader of enabling technologies, including authorship on technical papers, and is an inventor on multiple international and US patent applications in the area of flavor and sweetener technology.
Why I give back to Georgia Tech
"Creating the Dr. Kelly Sepcic Pfeil Chair and donating time and money to the Women in Chemistry was truly heartfelt for me. I credit Georgia Tech for working with me and making it possible for me to earn my doctorate while working full-time, raising two young daughters, and traveling globally in a demanding career. Although I was then in a senior level position at Coca-Cola, I had reached the point where management told me I needed a Ph.D. to further my career. The Ph.D. I earned at Tech made my continued career trajectory possible. Now, I want to ensure that other young women have the same opportunities — both in academia and in industry."
