A faculty committee at the University of California, Davis, has been appointed to lay the organizational groundwork for the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

The institute, established at UC Davis in September with a $25 million gift from Robert and Margrit Mondavi, is slated to open in 2006.

"This committee will lead us into one of the most exciting and perhaps one of the most challenging phases involved with creating the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science," said Neal Van Alfen, dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "These faculty members, who bring tremendous breadth and depth of experience to this task, will develop the organizational structure needed to turn the vision for the institute into a reality."

The committee includes wine researchers Linda Bisson and Andrew Waterhouse; food scientists John Krochta and Stephanie Dungan; nutritionist Janet King; and Robert Smiley, dean of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Also appointed to the committee are Charles Shoemaker and James Wolpert, chairs of the food science and technology department and viticulture and enology department, respectively.

The committee will be chaired by Robert Powell, a professor of chemical engineering. DeeDee Kitterman, executive director of research and outreach, will represent the dean's office of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Members of the food and wine industries and other faculty members will be asked to consult with the committee during the planning process.

Meeting at least twice monthly, committee members will finalize their recommendations in a report to be presented to Dean Van Alfen by Jan. 15, 2002. In the report, the committee will recommend the organizational structure for the institute; propose bylaws and a mission statement; and suggest educational, outreach and development activities for the institute. The report also will describe how the institute should interact with other university units and will develop a framework for the institute's academic plan.

The institute will house the UC Davis departments of Viticulture and Enology and Food Science and Technology. It also will promote collaborations with researchers from a variety of academic fields.

"The campus looks forwards to the synergistic benefits of bringing these two departments together in one building," said committee chair Powell. "At the same time we are mindful that these departments will maintain their individual identities and academic programs.

"As a committee, our goal is to prepare the Robert Mondavi Institute to be the unrivalled, international center for wine and food studies," he added. "We envision it as a global resource for both academics and industry professionals."

Structural planning also is under way for the institute, which will include about 75,000 square feet for classrooms, laboratories, offices and meeting rooms. Additionally, the institute will be home to a new campus teaching and research winery, and a new facility for advanced food processing.

Planning for the building is expected to take about two years, with groundbreaking anticipated in 2004.