Drawn to science from an early age, Julain Sinkler ’24 initially planned to attend medical school. But while managing the stress of her coursework, she found release in cooking—and eventually realized she wanted to build a career around food. That realization led her to culinary school, where she began considering a career as a chef. It was there that she discovered the field of food science, a path that ultimately proved a better fit than a traditional culinary career.

“I had never heard of food science before,” she said. “It really highlighted a lot of the things in the science field that I loved while studying pre-med. I could study chemistry and biology, but apply it to this subject that I was very passionate about. Everything clicked for me.”

Sinkler began a concurrent bachelor’s and master’s program in culinary food science in Spain, but her plans were disrupted in 2020 when the university closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned to the United States and began searching for a program where she could continue her education.

“I did a deep dive to find the right fit and learned about Iowa State’s culinary food science program,” she said. “It was exactly what I wanted, and I could start as a junior instead of starting completely over. It felt like an easy decision.”

At Iowa State, Sinkler joined the Culinary Science Club, where she connected with industry professionals. She also explored different career paths through her coursework.

“It felt like I had mini-internships in all my classes,” she said. “It helped me think, ‘Do I want to be a meat scientist? Do I want to be an application scientist? Do I want to do product development?’”

Sinkler credits much of that exploration to the hands-on nature of her classes and the mentorship from her professors. She especially enjoyed her food chemistry course, which deepened her understanding of how ingredients and processes influence the final product.

Another of her most impactful courses was in product development, where students worked in teams to create and pitch their own food products. Sinkler and her group developed a sushi-inspired snack made from puffed rice with sushi-flavored seasoning, an experience that reinforced her interest in a career in product development.

Today, she applies what she learned at Iowa State to her current role as a senior culinary and innovation analyst at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. In her role, she focuses on menu innovation and product development. She uses the food chemistry principles she studies at Iowa State to improve flavor, texture and overall quality.

“I recently took a course on marination to revisit food and meat chemistry,” she said. “It’s about figuring out how to bring the best flavor to the product, and how different ingredients, temperatures or techniques can change the final result.”

Her work also includes collaborating with suppliers, supporting new product ideas and traveling to explore ingredients and industry trends.

Reflecting on her time at Iowa State, Sinkler pointed to the collaborative environment as one of the most meaningful parts of her experience.

“In my food chemistry lab, we were all just working together, playing music, and it was a really good environment,” she said. “In my product development class, we were working in separate teams but toward the same goal, having roundtables to solve problems and figure out how to make our product.”

She said those experiences helped her feel prepared for her future career.

“It felt like I already had a career and was working with my peers,” she said. “We all got really close—it felt like a really big family.”

Sinkler encourages students to make the most of their time in the classroom and learn as much as possible from their professors.

“They have so much knowledge and real-world experience,” she said. “So much of what I do today is based on what I learned from them.”

She also emphasized the importance of staying open to new experiences and possibilities.

“Be super open-minded,” she said. “It’s not a bad thing if you realize there are things you don’t like. It just brings you closer to what you’re meant to do.”