- Emil M. Mrak
Emil Marcel Mrak, (
October 27 ,1901 -April 9 ,1987 ), was an American food scientist and microbiologist who later became Chancellor ofUniversity of California, Davis from 1959 to 1969. He was recognized internationally for his work infood preservation and as a world authority on the biology ofyeast s.Early life
Born in
San Francisco , Mrak graduated fromCampbell High School inCampbell, California . He received a B.S. degree in Food Technology in 1926, M.S. degree in 1928, and Ph.D. degree inbotany andmycology in 1936 fromUniversity of California, Berkeley . While an undergraduate at Berkeley, Mrak was a member of theAlpha Gamma Rho fraternity.Career at Berkeley, then Davis
He was appointed as an instructor in Food Technology at UC Davis in 1937 and rose to the rank of Professor and department chairman in 1948. In 1951, he would lead the move of the department to its current location at UC-Davis. Mrak would be appointed chancellor of UC-Davis in 1959, serving in that position until 1969. He would be the first food scientist to ever be named president or chancellor of a college or university. The only other food scientist to have this honor is
James L. Oblinger , chancellor of theNorth Carolina State University in Raleigh since 2005.ervice with the Institute of Food Technologists
A charter member of the
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in 1939, Mrak would serve as its President in 1957-58. He would also win numerous awards within IFT, including theNicholas Appert Award (1957), theBabcock-Hart Award (1961), the International Award (1963), theCarl R. Fellers Award (1984 - first ever winner), and a Fellow (1970 - among the first class of 27 fellows inducted). He also served as chair of IFT's [http://www.ift.org/sections/ncift/oldguard.htm Northern California Section] in 1947-48.Death
Mrak died in
Davis, California on April 9, 1987. [http://vcadmin.ucdavis.edu/ Mrak Hall] , the administration office building on the UC Davis campus, is named in his honor. UC Davis also named the [http://www.ucdavis-alumni.com/pages/AWARDS_mrak.htm Emil M. Mrak International Award] in his honor starting in 1988.Other awards and honors
*Alpha Gamma Rho Chi Brothers of the Century: 1923
*Alpha Gamma Rho Hall of Fame: 1980
*University of California, Berkeley Alumnus of the Year: 1969See also
*
List of University of California, Berkeley alumni References
* on the Davis Wiki
* [http://www.ccagraa.org/chi_brothers_of_the_century.htm Alpha Gamma Rho Chi brothers of the century]
* [http://www.alphagammarho.org/page.php?parent_id=&page_id-3490 Alpha Gamma Rho Hall of Fame]
* [http://www-foodsci.ucdavis.edu/about/centennial-record Centennial history of University of California (food science and technology)]
* [http://www-foodsci.ucdavis.edu/about/history Food Science and Technology history at UC-Davis]
* [http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1000288 List of IFT fellows]
* [http://members.ift.org/IFT/Awards/AchievmentAwards/AwardWinners/pastawardwinners.htm List of IFT past award winners]
* [http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/~ucalhist/archives_exhibits/in_memoriam/catalog/mrak_emil_m.html University of California: In Memoriam, 1987.]
* [http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/calhistory/alumni-year.html University of California, Berkeley Alumnus of the Year awards]
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