3 minute read
Brewing Possibility
BY DENNIS ARP
FOR FOOD SCIENCE STUDENTS, LEARNING IS ANYTHING BUT A GRIND, THANKS TO THE MENTORSHIP AND CAMARADERIE OF THE CHAPMAN COFFEE CLUB.
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During his seven years as an Army food safety officer, Eric DeGuzman (MS ’23) stomached more mess hall coffee than he can measure. The stronger and more bitter the taste the better.
Now he admits that he didn’t know beans about how rewarding the coffee experience can be.
DeGuzman and others in the Chapman MS Food Science program have been going through a coffee boot camp of sorts during their graduate studies at the university. Working with cutting-edge equipment as well as faculty and industry mentors, a growing student community is learning about both the science and art of coffee, thanks to class study, lab work and now the camaraderie of the Chapman Coffee Club.
From the sustainable sourcing of beans to the intricacies of the roasting process, from navigating the nuances of flavor profiles to developing and marketing specialty products, the lessons and possibilities continue to pour forth.
“We’re seeing all that can happen when people get together over coffee.” – Anuradha Prakash, Ph.D.
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– Anuradha Prakash, Ph.D. 2
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1 HIGH-END ASPIRATIONS What better product than coffee to get students excited about the science of food processing? So Professor Anuradha Prakash and the Chapman Food Science Program invested in cutting-edge equipment, including software that allows Coffee Club members to monitor the roasting of beans at the nth degree of temperature and pressure. 2 SHELF LIFE The support of industry vendors allows the Chapman Coffee Club and co-founder Eric DeGuzman (MS ’23) to source raw beans from a variety of regions in the coffeegrowing world.
3 FROM RAW TO ROASTED Carefully calibrated roasting can unlock a panoply of flavors rich enough to satisfy the most sophisticated of palates. But it all starts with raw beans that connect the final tasting experience back to the soils and climate of their origin. 4 MMMMMM MMMMMM As freshly roasted beans swirl in the cooling bin, the enticing aroma of flavorful moments to come wafts across the patio tables outside the Keck Center for Science and Engineering.
5 HANDS-ON LEARNING “Chapman has given me access to equipment that without this education I wouldn’t be able to interact with every day,” says Coffee Club co-founder McKenna Rivers (MS ’23), who plans a career in food industry product development. 6 CHAPPY HOUR On Friday afternoons, Coffee Club members share their specialty roasts as well as insights about their process with Chapman students, faculty and staff. “It’s a nice way not only for us to apply what we’re learning in the lab, but to get feedback so we can refine our roasting and brewing methods to be more applicable to what they want,” Rivers says. 7 GROUNDS FOR CELEBRATION Coffee Club students and their mentors lift a crystal mug to commemorate the thriving community they’re creating.
For enhanced content, including an exclusive video, visit Chapman. edu/magazine/coffeeclub.
