Dr. Cheryl Rock

What fears or anxieties did you have about going to college?

My anxiety about going to college was acclimating to a different culture as I was an international student. Regarding my First Generation Experience, I am the only one in my family who is a female scientist and to have a Ph.D and multiple college degrees. I had very supportive mentors who helped me a lot with academics and research experiences which provided me all of the tools to be successful academically and professionally. My passion for the GenExcel Mentoring Program stems from my positive mentorship interactions and experiences with freshmen through (1) research programs such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and (2), being a Former Faculty In Residence (FIR). My experiences align with the core purpose of GenExcel, which is to pair interested faculty with students of similar interest in order to cultivate meaningful relationships, to support student success, and to increase retention. Specifically regarding student success, my students were awarded 3rd place in local competitions such as the Southern California Institute of Food Technologists (SCIFTS) [2015 – 2016] as well as participating yearly [2015 – 2017] in the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) conferences to disseminate research results bringing prestige and visibility to CSULB. The NCUR is a forum for undergraduate students to showcase their research, scholarship and creative activity (RSCA) in all fields of study and universities across the United States. For the NCUR conference, our posters were selected from among more than 4000 submissions each year.

  • Ph.D., University of Florida
  • PB.Sc & M.Sc, Alabama A & M University

  1. Never give up. You Fail once you stop trying
  2. Be your authentic self
  3. Always surround your self with like minded people
  4. Take advantage of professional and personal development workshops/trainings
  5. You can be who you aspire to be
  6. Develop good relationships with your mentors and professors

I practice Korean Martial Arts (Hapkido) I play the Violin I love to Travel I love to drive Sports Vehicles

  1. Water
  2. Food
  3. Shelter

I take students to the beautiful caribbean island of Barbados each summer for two weeks for study abroad. I lived with Freshmen students at Cal State University Long Beach for 3 years (Aug 2017 - May 2020) and planned excursions such as the Hollywood Hike and a Trip to the Yakult Plant Facility.

I teach the Following Courses: FSCI 101: FrankenFood: Fact or Science Fiction FSCI 232: Introduction to Food Science FSCI 338: Food Law, Regulation and Safety FSCI 432: Food Chemistry and Analysis FSCI 435: Food Processing and Preservation FSCI 469: Food Product Development FSCI 490: Distilling and Brewing Technology in Barbados Research: I study the antioxidant and chemical properties of tree barks used as food ingredients I teach individuals the development of new food products using archetypes as a marketing strategy

I invite all students to take my FrankenFood: Fact or Science Fiction Course (FSCI 101). It's opened to all students as an elective each semester.