Eduardo Gutierrez Rodriguez

Eduardo Gutierrez-Rodriguez headshot.

Role: Associate Professor in Food Safety Systems, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, CSU Fort Collins, and Lead Scientist for the Spur Produce Facility

How are you connected to Spur?

I am responsible for the produce facility that will work directly with the minimally processed food industry in research and development of minimally processed foods (examples: fresh cut, dehydration, ready to eat, fresh fruits and vegetables), validation of food safety systems, shelf-life studies, environmental monitoring, and risk assessment in agriculture and processing environments.

When did you get involved with Spur and why is it important to you?

​I got involved with Spur late 2020 a few months after my arrival at CSU. Since then, I was asked to help the team upgrade and develop the produce facility. This is important for the minimally processed food industry because this will be one of a few food facilities in the nation capable of providing a testing ground for the development and implementation of food safety hurdles within a medium size scale processing facility. It will also allow for product development that can be scaled into commercial kitchen conditions and sensory science analysis as we look to team up with other facilities within the Terra building. This facility could be the one stop shop for the minimally processed food industry for bringing a new product from concept to market or for existing companies to validate their current products to meet food safety requirements under the necessary biosafety levels.

What outcomes have you seen or do you expect from work at Spur?

There are many potential outcomes from that could come to fruition from the Terra produce facility, but three key goals are the following:

  • Serve as a facility for product development, food safety,  product, and process validation
  • Provide industry relevant training on risk assessment, produce safety, microbiology within the minimally processed food industry
  • Connect agriculture (either field, greenhouse, or rooftop/indoor farming) with the food industry to expand and support farmers and food processor business goals

What would you like others to know about Spur?

That Spur’s Terra building is a place where the consumer, grower, entrepreneur, and food processor can come to learn, interact, share knowledge, and develop business ideas within agriculture and food environments.

TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

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CSU Spur is turning 2! Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

It’s our anniversary!

It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.

JOCELYN HITTLE

Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University

Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.

Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.

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We’ll see you Saturday!

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 10), and we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with all kinds of spring activities, including mariachi performances, songwriting labs, a Temple Grandin Equine Center equine-assisted therapy demonstration, a visit from the Sci on the Fly truck, and more!