Rosalee Hellberg is an Associate Professor in the Food Science Program at Chapman University. She teaches several courses, including Food Fraud, Food Microbiology, and Food Industry Tour. Dr. Hellberg received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University, where she studied seafood safety and fish mislabeling. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the FDA working on the development and optimization of DNA-based methods for the detection of food pathogens and food mislabeling. In 2017, Dr. Hellberg was selected as a recipient of the Emerging Leaders Network Award from the Institute of Food Technologists. She was also a recipient of the 2017 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research from Chapman University. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, doing yoga, and spending time with her family.
Lucas Krusinski is a GCI Postdoctoral Fellow at Chapman University. He has a background in nutritional sciences and food chemistry. His work has two overarching themes: food nutrient density and food authentication. He obtained his Ph.D. in Food Science from Michigan State University. Dr. Krusinski’s research focuses mainly on the effects of different cattle feeding strategies on the nutritional profile and the gene expression of grass-finished beef. He has expertise in fatty acid analysis and profiling of secondary compounds such as polyphenols found in meat and plants. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, running, and reading.
Jennifer McCoy Sanders is a Research Associate in the Food Protection Lab. She completed her Master’s in Food Science at Chapman University and her BA in English at California State University, Fullerton. Her research is focused on the disinfection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) on food contact surfaces using the Contamination Sanitation Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) system. In her free time, Jen enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and spending time with her wife and their pups.
Diane Kim is a graduate student pursuing her M.S. in Food Science at Chapman University. She received her B.S. degree from Chapman in Health Sciences with a minor in Neuroscience. Her research is focused on DNA-based methods for the detection of ginseng. In her free time, Diane enjoys hiking, playing badminton, playing guitar, and spending time with her family and friends.
Kylie Sacapano is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s degree in Food Science. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Chapman University with a minor in Health Sciences. Her research will focus on evaluating and optimizing the methods used to detect Salmonella in meat analogs. In her free time, Kylie likes to play video games on the Nintendo Switch, watch TV shows, and spend time with her family, friends, and dogs.
Sarah Ahles is a graduate student in the Master of Food Science program at Chapman University with an emphasis in Food Safety and Regulatory (class of ’24). She hopes to land a career in food quality, regulatory, and/or food safety management post-graduation. Her thesis research is focused on the use of PCR to detect species misbranding in canned tuna. In her free time, she likes to take last-minute trips to Colorado Springs to visit her boyfriend, lift some weights, soak up some sun, and garden/tend to her indoor plants.
Ghana Tirpude is pursuing a discipline change from the field of business to MS in Food Science at Chapman University. She has completed her MA in Marketing and Innovation from Anglia Ruskin University, UK and has experience working as a Business Consultant specializing in Branding and Organizational Management for over 10 years. At Chapman University her research will focus on studying the applications of Contamination Sanitation Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) system to disinfect food pathogens on various food contact surfaces. In her free time, she volunteers at her family’s NGO in India. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and hosting dinner parties and going on long drives and walks to unwind
Gary Maloncon is a graduate student at Chapman University working towards his M.S. in Food Science. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with an emphasis in Molecular Biology also from Chapman University. His thesis is focused on the use of the CSID system for the deactivation of Listeria on food contact surfaces. In his free time, he enjoys family time, hiking, music, watching movies/anime, and learning naval history.
Chloe Castanon is an undergraduate student pursuing her BS in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at Chapman University. Her research focuses on optimizing methods of species identification in commercial canned tuna products. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis with friends and painting.
Akshay Khetrapal is an undergraduate student studying Biology at Chapman University. His research focuses on optimizing methods of species identification in commercial canned tuna products. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball and hiking.
Grace Cho is an undergraduate pursuing a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Chapman University. Her research focuses on inactivating Salmonella on Food Contact Surfaces using the Contamination Sanitization Inspection-Disinfection (CSI-D) System. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano.
Hanna Ama is an undergraduate student studying biology at Citrus College. His research focuses on optimizing the mini-barcoding process for commercial canned tuna. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, playing guitar, and spending time on the beach.