Dr. Padilla-Zakour is the Seneca Foods Foundation Professor and Director of the Food Venture Center in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University She is also the Director of the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University and the Food Science Program Leader at Cornell AgriTech.
Dr. Padilla-Zakour received her Food Engineering degree at the University of Costa Rica. She earned a M.S. in 1988 and then a PhD in Food Science & Technology from Cornell University in 1991. She worked in the fruit processing industry for 4 years before joining Cornell as Director of the Food Venture Center (FVC) in 1997, to lead a premiere extension program of the Department of Food Science. She coordinates and develops outreach programs and extension activities to support new and established entrepreneurs, processors and farmers seeking to introduce new products into the marketplace. She is a recognized Process Authority in acid, acidified and water activity controlled foods. Under her leadership, the FVC provides assistance to 800 clients every year to support the commercialization of over 2000 new food products by ensuring regulatory compliance, safety and stability. She was selected Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists in 2014 and has received numerous academic awards, including the 2021 SUNY Chancellor Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Her research program focuses on safety and quality of value-added, plant-based foods; thermal and nonthermal technologies for food preservation; upcycling byproducts; and new product development.