CLFP has a long working relationship with the Food Science and Nutrition Departments at U.C. Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chico State, and Fresno State and provides scholarships to students at those universities every year.  These universities have also provided extensive research support for CLFP, its members, and other sectors of the food processing industry in California.  Some CLFP members have indicated that there is a strong demand for Food Science and Nutrition students and asked staff to reach out to other universities with similar programs to connect with those departments and students.

Chapman University, located in Orange, California has a Master’s degree program in Food Science and also a joint MS/MBA program.  They graduate 20-30 students each year, many of whom seek jobs in the food industry in California.  The Food Science Department would welcome the opportunity to place students in food industry internships or connect with potential employers.  Chapman also conducts regular Better Process Control Schools and other food industry programs.  For more information, contact the Department Chair, Dr. Anuradha Prakash, at (714) 744-7826.

Cal Poly Pomona also has a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition.  The students also have the option of an internship in Dietetics or a specialization in Culinology.  They do not offer an undergraduate degree in Food Science.  To obtain more information about the program or students contact the Department Chair, Dr. Bonny Burns-Whitmore at (909) 869-3793.

San Diego State has an undergraduate program in Nutrition and Dietetics as part of its School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences.  Students are required to take core sequences of coursework in areas of food science, nutrition, and food management.  To obtain more information about the program or the students contact Dr. Fred Kolkorst, Program Director, at (619) 594-5541.

Article written by Rob Neenan, CLFP President & CEO