Unrivaled: California’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

About the event:

Selina Wang, research director for the UC Davis Olive Center and a cooperative extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Brady Whitlow, CEO of Corto Olive Company, spoke on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at the institute. They discussed how UC Davis research and extensive collaboration with innovators in the olive oil industry are ensuring California’s place as a world leader in the production of the highest quality extra virgin olive oil.

Upcoming Events

Olio Nuovo Festival 2024

The UC Davis Olive Center, in collaboration with Séka Hills and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, has created the 2024 limited edition Olio Nuovo from the UC Davis Wolfskill Experimental Orchard and the plantings at the Blue

Nov 23, 2024 @ 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Robert Mondavi Institute, Sensory Building
392 Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616
Event Details

Saqib Keval, Norma Listman, Santana Diaz

Savor: Open Kitchens

About the Event

Transforming Food Service through Community, Culture, and Ethical Leadership

Dec 5, 2024 @ 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Sensory Theater, Robert Mondavi Institute
392 Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616
Event Details

Selina Wang

Speaker Bio: Selina Wang

Selina Wang has been the research director of the UC Davis Olive Center since 2012. She led the center’s chemistry study on the quality and purity of supermarket olive oil from 2009 to 2011, which received worldwide attention. The report was covered by over 1000 media outlets, and lead to new olive oil standards for the State of California in 2014. In 2018, she took on the additional role of Cooperative Extension (CE) Specialist in Small Scale Fruit and Vegetable Processing in the UC Davis Department of Food Science. Her current key activities include providing extension leadership and educating academics and small-scale fruit and vegetable processors about raw material quality, shelf life and preservation, safety and handling, chemical changes during processing and storage, and value-added processing. Wang also conducts mission-oriented research on emerging issues regarding fruit and vegetable processing. She strives to be a knowledgeable partner who provides reliable information and builds research-informed networks to address fruit and vegetable processing issues in the state of California.

Brady Whitlow

Speaker Bio: Brady Whitlow

Brady Whitlow is the CEO of Corto Olive Company, one of the state’s leading producers of olive oil. In 1991, he joined the start-up company Muir Glen Organic Tomato Products as the VP of Sales and Marketing. In this role, he took Muir Glen from zero to $18 million in sales in eight years. Brady has worked in various capacities in the food industry, including as VP of Sales and Marketing for Amy’s Kitchen, Director of Sales for Barbara’s Bakery, and as the owner of his own pizza restaurant, Pizza Romeo. He has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Oregon and an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. Brady currently serves on the board of the Olive Oil Commission of California.