As a Cooperative Extension Specialist, my work revolves around serving as a technical liaison for the fruit & vegetable processing industry (short courses, Referral Guides, e-mail/phone/on-site interactions etc.) and in carrying out applied research. My research focuses on optimizing both raw material quality and processing conditions to achieve high quality fruit and vegetable products. My group has been involved with cultivar evaluation (tomatoes, peaches, cherries, strawberries, corn, green beans, broccoli), production issues (soil quality, irrigation, organic and conventional practices), postharvest handling and storage (refrigerated, CA, frozen), and processing (fresh-cut, freezing, canning, aseptic processing, high pressure, pulsed electric fields etc.). My group is especially interested in the activity of endogenous enzymes that affect fruit and vegetable quality. My disciplinary background is food biochemistry, with a minor focus on plant physiology and processing. I would like to contribute to the Center both by serving as its Director, and helping to interface multi-disciplinary approaches to the improvement of fruit and vegetable quality.

Curriculum Vitae

Research Slides