University News Blog Posts

RMI Director Andrew Waterhouse to Retire

Dear RMI Supporter,

As you may have heard, after five years as director, I am leaving the Robert Mondavi Institute at the end of June, one year after my professorship retirement. The Dean’s Office is searching for the next director, ideally a professor with a passion for public outreach, and hopes to appoint my replacement by July 1.

New Sensory Immersive Room at UC Davis Simulates Real-life Environments for Product Testing

From UC Davis News and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

What makes a cup of coffee or an energy bar enjoyable is usually more than just the taste. The surrounding environment may also influence the experience.

With that in mind, the Department of Food Science and Technology at University of California, Davis has constructed a new multi-sensory immersive room that can be used for product development, innovation and research.

Agave: The New Drought-Tolerant California Crop?

From UC Davis News and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Agriculture in California faces an uncertain future as drought, wildfires and other climate extremes become more commonplace in the West. But a fledgling industry focused on growing and distilling agave plants, which are used to produce tequila and mezcal in Mexico, could be California’s answer to fallowed fields and a lack of water.

UC Davis Researchers Develop Ice Cube That Doesn’t Melt or Grow Mold

From UC Davis News and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new type of cooling cube that could revolutionize how food is kept cold and shipped fresh without relying on ice or traditional cooling packs. 

These plastic-free, “jelly ice cubes” do not melt, are compostable and anti-microbial, and prevent cross-contamination. 

Having a Nice Glass of French Wine?

From UC Davis News

If consumers cannot tell the quality of a product when they buy it, it can drive high-quality products, like a good French wine, out of the market. Consumers would not pay a premium, and producers would have no incentive to make costly quality improvements. This widely held economic tenet, formalized in a famed article by Nobel Prize-winner George Akerlof, suggests that without standards, consumers could be left with mostly “lemons,” such as defective used cars.