The discussions are asking the question is now the time to assemble the already extensive coffee expertise across the campus into a coordinated and interactive program of coffee research? Simultaneously, since several faculty have already realized that coffee provides a uniquely accessible subject for education in everything from Chemical Engineering to Sensation, discussions are beginning to consider coffee as a focus for undergraduate education. 

From the Sacramento Bee: 

On March 11, a roster of eight UC Davis scientists will come together for a research conference run by the schools recently founded Coffee Center. At the conference, the scientists and coffee industry stakeholders will gather to plumb such diverse topics as the genetics of coffee and the sensory perception of coffee drinkers. 

It's the first step in an effort that some on campus see as leading to a dedicated coffee research study center akin to the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, said J. Bruce German, director of the Foods for Health Institute at UC Davis. He also suggested the school could eventually offer a major in coffee science. 

Full SacBee Article