Student Spotlight: Martha Castaño

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.

A sensory and consumer research manager for Central and South America with Griffith Foods, Castaño began her career training as a sensory panelist, where she discovered that she was fascinated by the world of the senses. “Sensory and consumer science are beautifully captivating,” she said.

Wanting to learn more, she requested an internal transfer to be the leader of the sensory panel and later enrolled in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program. “The program responds to the technical training needs of skilled professionals in the field,” said Castaño. She says the program was comprehensive and exciting, and that the instructors provided advice and support both during and after the program.

After completing the certificate program in 2014, Castaño said she is convinced that it opened up a broader and, at the same time, a deeper perspective on aspects related to sensory and consumer science. “It allowed me to fully understand the physiological aspects involved in sensory responses, as well as the more advanced methodologies that contrast the two types of judges responses,” she said. “It expanded my technical vision.”

Castaño said the most valuable part of the program was all the methodologies she learned. “They were all extremely relevant because they allowed me to apply a wide range of possibilities in our projects, giving them excellent strength and scientific quality.”