Clarence Sterling (March 25, 1919 – Aug. 13, 1996) was a pioneer in UCD’s Department of Food Science and Technology. He joined the faculty in 1951 after receiving his doctorate in plant anatomy and morphology from UC Berkeley in 1944, and after teaching at the University of Wisconsin, University of Louisville and UC Berkeley. He researched the microscopic, sub-microscopic and molecular structure of foods. He was an expert in floral morphology and reproductive morphology of gymnosperms, roses and lilies.