Dr. Lathrop's Graduate Students
James Schnepf
I am pursuing my Masters of Science in Agriculture with a specialization in Food Science and Nutrition. I have been working with Dr. Lathrop on various projects dealing with controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat food. More specifically, I have performed challenge studies on artificially inoculated regular and low sodium mozzarella cheese and also have executed studies applying a bacteriophage solution on spinach leaves. I completed my Bachelors of Science in Food Science at Purdue University in the summer of 2012 before continuing my education here. I chose to attend Cal Poly because of its excellent reputation in Food Science and I knew that its 'learn by doing' mantra would provide me with a valuable opportunity to further my knowledge in the food safety field.
Tiffany Taylor
Under the supervision of Dr. Amanda Lathrop, I am currently working in conjunction with the Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC) on a grant that is looking for an antimicrobial for use in low sodium dairy products. My thesis research focuses on screening several antimicrobials for effectiveness at inhibiting the growth of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in a dairy system. Once a promising antimicrobial has been identified through the screening process, it will be used in artificially contaminated low sodium low-moisture part-skim (LMPS) mozzarella cheese and growth of the pathogenic organisms will be monitored for three months.
I chose Cal Poly because the school has an amazing reputation in the Food Science field. I knew, that if I were to attend a school that focused so much on learning by doing, I would be able deepen my knowledge of food science and provide me with valuable connections to the industry. I have not ever regretted my decision. The staff and faculty are extremely supportive and helpful and I already know, that, once I'm ready to begin my job search, they will be actively involved. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else; I don’t know if any other place would have provided me with such a family-like atmosphere.
