Volume 30 · Number 3 · Spring 2013
Letters: From the editor
Kathleen Holder
Some of the best perks of editing this magazine are that I learn so much and get to help tell so many great UC Davis stories. And with every issue, I get a clearer picture of the people and events that have made this campus. That mold took shape beginning in the early 1900s with the folks who set out to make a university from scratch. And in the more than a century since, new generations of students, alumni, faculty, administrators and friends have added to the recipe. Not only did they dramatically improve upon it — transforming a farm school into a world-class university — they gave the place its unique character: friendly, resilient, can-do and Aggie through and through. The ingredients included heaping measures of smarts, hard work and a desire to make a difference — all spiced with generous dashes of quirkiness and fun.
UC Davis is still cooking — both literally and figuratively. This issue of UC Davis Magazine brings you a menu of stories on food and health. “Who Let the Foodies In,” reports on the growing number of students who combine food science with gastronomy, and the impact they’re having on the culinary world. “Recipe for a Food-Science Fusion,” profiles one of those graduate students, another example of UC Davis’ unique blend of brilliance, discovery and passion. “¡Salud!” explores work being done by UC Davis doctors, nurses and other researchers to improve the health of Latinos, the state’s fastest-growing population. They face greater risks of diabetes and obesity than other demographic groups. .
You’ll find a number of other food and health stories sprinkled throughout this issue. Our alumni section features Aggies who have imported the U.S. culinary wonder of the ice cream sandwich to Britain and invented a smarter way to cook ramen noodles — the staple of nearly every student’s diet. The Campaign for UC Davis stories include gifts to improve rice crops and to fight Alzheimer’s disease. In sports, experts in fitness, nutrition and psychology share some of the advice they give student-athletes.
To your health! And bon appetit!
Kathleen Holder
Managing editor