An Eventful Week: Submitting, Walking, Sharing

Some weeks are just different. The second week of June 2026 was one of those.

It started on June 10th, when I submitted my doctoral dissertation to UC Davis's Department of Food Science and Technology. The dissertation was titled: "Harnessing Matrix–Cargo Interactions in Food-Grade Encapsulation Systems to Enhance the Functionality of Orally Delivered Bioactives."

The next day, June 11th, I walked at commencement alongside my advisor, Professor Nitin Nitin. One Doctor entered the stage; two walked out.

Then on June 12th, I presented my exit seminar to my Dissertation Committee, colleagues, as well as family and friends who joined in person and online from the US, Mexico, and India. The room, physically and virtually, felt wonderfully full. I got to share my research and engage in some interesting discussions afterwards, all while we snacked on Yakult, yogurt bites with probiotics, and chai. If you're going to think about milk fat globules and encapsulated probiotics every day for six years, your farewell snack table should reflect that.

In summary, what a week!

Best,
Tana H. Barrueta, PhD (finally).