Barile lab postdoc Randall Robinson been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Kinsella Memorial Prize which recognizes excellence in academic performance. The selection was based on the recommendation of Associate Professor Daniela Barile, along with the chair of his graduate group, Topher McNeil, and the review of the selection committee. His award letter said that "the selection committee was very impressed with the quality and originality of [his] dissertation, the impact of the research and the importance of the research to the college’s mission to serve agriculture, the environment and human health and development."
Committee members highly regarded his dissertation research, as evidenced by the following selective quotes:
“His dissertation consists of 7 chapters that encompasses knowledge from various disciplines, he has published 11 papers in many highly esteemed journals, his research contributes to benefitting humankind, and lastly, he volunteers in his spare time. If anyone deserves this award, it is Randall Robinson.”
“Innovative dissertation, very productive in terms of publications.”
“Very productive and driven young scholar with very important research interests in food safety. Again very impressive productivity and a project of direct impact to agriculture."
After earning a B.S. degree in chemistry and a minor in physics from California State University, Stanislaus, Randall joined the Barile Lab as a graduate student and began studying the chemical properties of bioactive milk compounds. He has been developing methods to identify and characterize health-promoting food compounds, including peptides and oligosaccharides, using mass spectrometry and novel quantification techniques. Randall hopes that by improving our understanding of milk and its functional properties, we will be able to better utilize those attributes to improve human health. After completing his postdoc at UC Davis, he would like to pursue a career in the industry that allows him to apply his instrumental analysis skills to human health-related research.
The Kinsella Memorial Prize was established to honor the late John E. Kinsella, a former dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and an internationally distinguished food chemist. The prize money is made possible by the Kinsella Memorial Fund.
Randall's award was also recognized at the 2019 Graduate Studies Honors & Awards Ceremony.
Congratulations to Randall!