2026 Spring Graduations

As of June 2026, the Barile Lab is lucky to recognize two UC Davis graduates. Congratulations to Talia and Mana!

Talia Katz graduated with an MS in Food Science and Technology. Over the past two years, she led research investigating the bioactive components in sidestreams of butter production for California Dairy companies. She also worked as a product innovation intern at ofi North America (Olam Food Ingredients) where she optimized cocoa recipe formulations in baked goods. In addition to her academic work, Talia served as the graduate student coordinator for the 2025-2026 Dairy MindWorks product development competition. She also served as the industry liaison for the Food Science Graduate Student Association where she coordinated with UC Davis FST faculty and facilitated a mentor-mentee program between graduate students and industry professionals. Talia was a joy to work beside and we wish her all the best as she begins the next chapter of her career in industry! 

Follow her journey on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/taliakatz1

Mana Rogers completed her BS, having double majored in Food Science and Technology and Statistical Data Science. She joined Barile Lab in 2023 and has contributed to research characterizing bioactives in milk, agrifood waste and industry products. She worked with liquid handling automation and gained skills in pharmaceutical quality control during an internship at Cytokinetics in 2025. Outside the lab, she served as the President and Vice President of the Davis Alt Protein Project where she facilitated academic seminars and industry collaborations and demonstrations for students to connect with scientists building new protein production technologies. We wish her luck in the next steps of her academic journey!

Follow her journey on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/manarogers