Prairva Plepalakon, UC Davis Food Science and Technology Graduate, Exploring Opportunities in Food Science | That’s a Food Job! Podcast #112
Prairva Plepalakon, also known as “Summer,” is a recent Food Science and Technology graduate from the University of California, Davis, one of the most respected food science programs in the world. UC Davis has a big reputation in food science, pairing strong academic programs with deep industry and research networks.
In this episode of That’s a Food Job!, Summer shares what it’s like to study food science at UC Davis and reflects on the co-op positions she’s taken on (including one with a company making protein from air). We talk about her advice for students who want to stand out, what she learned from attending the IFT First Conference, and how hands-on experiences have shaped her career goals.
Summer was the winner of the Voices of the Future Podcast Challenge we hosted during our visit to IFT First.
In this episode:
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:50 – Inspiration for Studying Food Science
03:50 – UC Davis Food Science Program
06:20 – Favorite Courses and Learning Experiences
10:05 – IFT Product Development Competitions
14:00 – Food Innovation Lab and Tools
16:40 – Co-op Experiences
20:20 – Finding Opportunities and Networking Tips
24:00 – Skills Learned Through Co-ops
29:50 – Discovering Ingredient Companies and Industry Roles
33:10 – Attending IFT First Conference
34:30 – Student Opportunities at IFT
36:50 – Networking and Cold Emailing
38:30 – Lessons from Networking
41:35 – Career Plans After Graduation
43:00 – Advice for Students
46:00 – Closing Remarks
Recommended next episode
#92 – Davis Jaeger, R&D Leader, Culinary Expert and Food Scientist
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