Production/Process Engineer at COLUN, La Unión, Chile

What is your background and how did you become interested in the dairy/food industry?

I’m a Food Engineer from the south of Chile and in this region is where the greatest amount of the milk is produced in my country. As an undergraduate, I was involved in some process and dairy courses that woke up my interest in these topics. Later when I graduated, I had the opportunity to start my work experience in one of the most beloved dairy cooperatives in my country, where I still belong.

What was your Cornell experience like? (i.e. coursework, dairy related activities, internships, jobs, etc.)

My experience was amazing! Cornell has a lot of resources, besides the remarkable list of courses, that help you to go deeper in what you really want to develop or improve. In the course list, I’ll like to highlight the dairy chemistry course with Dr. Barbano and Food Processing B: Dairy Processing and Emerging Technologies with Dr. Moraru. If you are a dairy fan, these are two courses you need to take.

The dairy and extension group from Cornell also have a lot of courses and workshops related that are very interesting and useful if you want to learn how to make different kinds of dairy products or get some certifications.

If you are also interested in investigation, you have the opportunity to develop that part! I had the luck to be part of Dr. Wiedmann and Dr. Alcaine lab groups where you meet a lot of great people that help you to enrich your knowledge about dairy, by working and developing the specific topics of your interest.

What is your current role in the food industry, and how does it impact the dairy industry?

Currently I’m working in the production area focusing mainly on the cheese area. Here our philosophy is to improve the process to achieve the best quality in the products, maintaining high standards related to food safety, reducing environmental impacts and creating healthy and nutritional products for the consumers.

How did your Cornell training impact your career in the dairy/food industry?

Cornell gave me some useful tools to improve my knowledge in all dairy related products and in general about food science.  Also, by working on research, I was able to realize the importance of critical thinking in any activity you do in industry, on how this affects the results of your processes. The staff and resources they have on campus gives you all the opportunities to succeed in any food related industry!