Staci Dumoski
For most people, the idea of working at a chocolate factory probably inspires visions of a Willy Wonka-inspired candyland. But for Anna Colella Mauser (MS ’21), a food scientist for popular candymaker See’s Candies, it’s just another day on the job.
”I am lucky to work with something people love so much—chocolate and candy!” says Colella Mauser, who is a research and design (R&D) manager in the company’s Los Angeles facility, and oversees projects in San Francisco as well.
“See’s is a very traditional company, so a lot of the R&D work we do is maintenance work to ensure we keep making the same quality candy we’ve been making for the last 104 years,” she says. But there are also a good amount of projects focused on new product development, product and process improvement, innovation, shelf-life studies and the like.
“We always have something we are working on that is top secret, and that, in my opinion, is the beauty of R&D,” says Colella Mauser. “At See’s, Valentine’s Day is still part of our high season, so make sure to stop by our stores and get your sweetheart some of our heart-shaped goodies—my favorites are the dark raspberry heart and the marshmallow hearts!”
She adds that See’s also offers sweets to share with your best friend for Galentine’s Day, for those without sweethearts this year. “The important thing is not running out of chocolate!”
Originally from Brazil, Colella Mauser already had a background in production engineering when she came to Chapman’s Schmid College of Science at Technology to study food science. “I was looking for a food science program in California that had a strong industry focus, and all roads led to Chapman. With the state of the art, brand new labs, the option to do research, the amazing location, and strong connections with the industry, that was an easy choice!” she says.
As an international student, she felt very welcome in the program due to the supportive international community at Chapman, including faculty and fellow classmates from abroad. She is especially thankful for the role all her food science professors played in helping her find success in her career. “I would highlight professors John Miklavcic and Anuradha Prakash for being my thesis advisors and for strongly supporting my development as a researcher and student at Chapman,” she says. She worked with both professors researching the impact of processing on the nutritional value of milk and the way in which it could impact developing babies.
While choosing a favorite candy is a tough decision—Colella Mauser is particularly fond of the toffee-ettes, the dark raspberry cream and the Kona mocha—she knows exactly what she would make as a Chapman-themed chocolate: a uniquely-flavored marshmallow in the shape of a panther paw!
Read more about what Chapman University Alumni are up to on our Class Notes page — and submit your own life updates for a chance to be featured!
