Summer Plepalakon, UC Davis, Food Science. Developed a comparison of cost-effective product development software aimed at small and medium- sized processors. She evaluated tools around functionality, user experience, cost, and suitability. Results were shared as part of the R&D short course at Cal Poly DPTC in August. Leeanna Maksoudian, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Food Science. Compiled a list of cooking cheeses produced in CA and around the world to support the CMAB Food Service Team. Cheeses were documented with make procedures, cooking characteristics, nutrition, and more information to serve as a resource for cheesemakers in CA.
Ginger Fitzpatrick, CalPoly San Luis Obispo, MS Nutrition, and Jonathan Merino, Mechanical Engineering, UC Merced. Interns placed with Hilmar Cheese in Research & Development and Packaging Engineering teams, respectively.
Gee Trevena, Chapman University, Health Sciences. Worked at Chapman University to create a list of promising “nootropic” ingredients (ingredients with potential health effects on the brain) that could be incorporated into dairy products. The work included a survey of current regulations, technical considerations, and market trends for these ingredients in other food products. Alex Malone, CalPoly San Luis Obispo, Ag Business. Worked at Cal Poly DPTC on a faculty-led project developing a gut-friendly frozen dairy dessert utilizing kefir. This project has been a success, winning funding from a Cal Poly entrepreneurial competition and even applying for the RCM Excelerator (Incubator path). CDIC continues to work with Alex on scaling and commercializing the brand.
PJ Crocker and Tomas Vasquez – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Ag Business. Worked on faculty-led project developing the business case for Happy Herd, a dairy product tailored to the sensory preferences and needs of individuals with autism and other forms of neurodivergence.
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