Announcement

Congratulations to Zhuo Chen, Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Luxin Wang's lab, who has been selected along with six others to be in the Center for Produce Safety's Professional Development Program for 2026.  

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) congratulates the recipients selected for the 2026 Professional Development Program Awards. On behalf of the CPS Board of Directors, Vice Chair Charles Leftwich (Sysco Corporation) recognizes these emerging professionals for their commitment to produce safety, scientific excellence, and future industry leadership.

Congratulations to the UC Davis IFT College Bowl team for taking first place in the regional competition! They will advance to the final at IFT FIRST in Chicago, July 12-15th, where they'll compete again seven other regional winners.  

Regretfully, I must announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Charlie Shoemaker on April 13, 2026. Charlie was an internationally renowned food scientist, educator, mentor and collaborator.  His career with UC Davis spanned 35 years, including 10 years as department chair. He was an authority in the physical chemistry of foods, specifically how the composition of polymers affected texture and processing methods.

Congratulations to FST and BAE's Dr. Nitin Nitin, one of 27 new IUFoST Fellows for 2026!

13 April 2026 - The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) is proud to present the 15th class of outstanding food scientists and technologists to be elected to the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). These 27 new Fellows will be inducted by the Academy Executive Council, led by Professor Fereidoon Shahidi, IAFoST President, in October 2026 at the 23rd IUFoST World Food Congress to be held in Hong Kong.

Four simple ingredients and one bold idea helped a group of students turn their low-fat dairy spread creation into a first-place win by reimagining what a schmear can be. Their product earned the top prize in a dairy innovation competition hosted by the student-run Food Tech Club at UC Davis.

Diane Barrett, FST Extension Specialist Emerita, is featured in the latest video interview by the UC Davis Emeriti Association.  Diane was appointed in 1992 and retired in 2016.  

For nearly 20 years, the Olive Center at the University of California, Davis, has worked to improve the olive and olive oil industry through research, education and outreach. The center, known for its work in sustainable olive growing and improving olive oil quality, has named chemist Selina Wang as its faculty director to guide the next phase of research and innovation for the state’s growing olive industry.

(FST note: We wanted to share our new CAES Dean's welcome message from August (Dean Helene Dillard retired at the end of June.) You can read more about Dean Ashley M. Stokes here.) 

Hello Aggies!

Congratulations to FST's Linda J. Harris, distinguished professor of cooperative extension, who received an International Association for Food Protection Honorary Life Membership Award at the IAFP Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio last week!  The other recipients were Ian Jenson, Jeffrey Kornacki, and Ruth Petran. Each honoree received a personalized plaque recognizing them for their dedication to the high ideals and objectives of the International Association for Food Protection and for dedicated service to the Association.