Meet Three Graduate Student Researchers

Graduate student researchers are a huge part of what makes the UC Davis Coffee Center function. The Coffee Center brings together science, engineering and emerging technologies to conduct research that deepens our understanding of coffee and addresses challenges across the industry. 

Through mentorship from Coffee Center faculty and access to specialized facilities, equipment and resources, these graduate student researchers are developing new tools and knowledge to address crucial problems in the coffee world. Together, these graduate student researchers are making a meaningful impact on the Coffee Center and the coffee industry as a whole. Their work exemplifies the innovative approaches shaping the future of coffee research and advancing the industry.

Meet some of our graduate student researchers:

Alice Dien, Biological Systems Engineering

Alice Dien’s research explores more accessible and efficient methods for measuring coffee quality. Her major professor, Irwin Donis-Gonzalez, leads the Post-Harvest Engineering Center and is a co-director of the Coffee Center, connecting her engineering background with research in coffee quality assessment. Her work in photometric analysis investigates whether smartphone images can replicate laboratory standards for coffee quality assessment, contributing to the development of Roastpic, a startup focused on making quality evaluation more affordable for smaller roasters. She is also studying how different methods of measuring roast level and grind size contribute to variability in coffee quality assessments.

Willian Klippel Huber, Biological Systems Engineering

Willian Klippel Huber’s research focuses on improving how coffee defects are identified and evaluated through sensory science and technology. Through his work with Professor Irwin Donis-Gonzalez, he uses computer vision and AI/machine learning algorithms to detect and classify coffee defects to develop a more precise and consistent alternative to traditional, largely manual grading methods. He is also engineering his own machine specifically for automated coffee defect detection.

Daniel Schoonbrood, Food Science and Technology

Daniel Schoonbrood conducts sensory research as part of Professor Julien Delarue’s team, investigating how familiarity and prior experience with coffee influence sensory perception. His current research examines whether coffee-drinking habits, knowledge and experience affect a person’s ability to detect defects in brewed coffee. His work provides insight into how consumers perceive and evaluate coffee quality.