Student Success Stories

As the regional manager at Royal Electric, Dan Kruger has been in the construction industry for a long time. When he landed a few promotions, he decided to supplement his practical experience with UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Construction Management Certificate Program. 

As a principal planner with the San Joaquin County Community Development Department, John Funderburg enjoys the challenge of managing large-scale development projects. Having taken a number of environmental resources classes at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, he recently decided to further expand his skill set and pursue the Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program.

With exposure to the construction business from so many different angles, Jenni Castro understood the nuances and niches within the industry. She chose Continuing and Professional’s Construction Management Program as a way to explore everything the industry has to offer and to supplement her degree in environmental science. 

Kelin Bradley has always had a passion for food and an interest in science. The Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program helped him define what he wants to do and gave him a foundation for understanding the breadth of sensory science.

Luz Inés Nieto enrolled in the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program looking to deepen her expertise and grow in her field. Since completing the program, she has advanced her career at Griffith Foods—earning a promotion in 2022 and taking on expanded responsibilities in sensory science and consumer insights.

Master Brewers Certificate Program alumni from three Sonoma County breweries—Seismic Brewing Company, Third Street Aleworks and Fogbelt Brewing Company—kick off 2020 with a collaborative Helles lager. 

Thomas Cernac, a recent graduate of the Winemaking Certificate Program, is a retired U.S. Air Force mechanic and now a vineyard manager and winemaker in El Dorado County, California.

Sanne Poulsen had been working in agribusiness management and marketing when she moved to Marlborough—New Zealand’s wine country. After relocating, Poulsen made friends with people in the wine industry and became intrigued by the profession. Looking to invest in her education to balance the practical and technical skills, she found the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Winemaking Certificate Program.

Ksenia Oleynik is a legal secretary from Sacramento, and a graduate of UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Paralegal Studies Certificate Program.

Paul Adams, director of Corporate Support and Underwriting at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, is a seasoned leader with an understanding of how important good leadership is to the health of an organization. And so, when he asked himself, “How can I do better?” he turned to the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program for training.

Karen Mendoza is Director of the Project Management Office at the California Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program.

What most stood out to you about this program?
The instructors were highly engaging and knowledgable about their subjects. My classmates were all great leaders in their fields, as well, and they added another level of enrichment to my learning experience.

Discover how the UC Davis Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program gave Taruna Sanghi the confidence to grow her career in consumer science.

Are you a beer enthusiast or an avid homebrewer? Have you ever wondered what it would take to become a professional brewer and actually make a living doing something you love? We spoke with three professional brewers, all UC Davis graduates and alumni of the Master Brewers Certificate Program at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, and an industry expert to find out how they translated their love for brewing into a successful career.

Meet Coaching Certificate alumna Gavan Ambrosini, who took advantage of CPE's partnership with University of the Pacific to put her certificate credit toward a Master's in Leadership with a concentration in Organizational Innovation & Change from UOP.

After more than 12 years of working in sensory and consumer science, Martha Castaño believes that she made the best decision of her life to pursue a career in the industry. “I bet on my passion,” she said, and applied for CPE's Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program.