Food Safety and Biosecurity

I am currently Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology. I teach two courses in the OMALS program: "Global Food Laws and Regulations” and “Applied Food Microbiology and Sanitation" and serve as an advisor to some students in the Food Safety and Biosecurity concentration. My research program focuses on the prevention and reduction of microbial pathogens in processed foods, surface microbiological sampling procedures, and food safety education for processors. 

The research in my lab is focused on the study of the bionomics of mosquitoes, their control, and the viruses they carry. Arbovirus surveillance of mosquitoes is a critical aspect of public health and mosquito control programs. We have shown that LACV and Cache Valley viruses are evolving to make use of accessory vectors as they expand into the southern and Appalachian regions of the US. I have more than three decades of experience working with arboviruses including laboratory infection of mosquitoes and measuring dissemination and transmission.

My research is using molecular epidemiology to track the transmission of foodborne pathogens in agroecosystems and develop interventions to control pathogens on foods. I am the instructor for OMALS course FST 5634 Epidemiology of Food and Waterborne Diseases. I also serve as a committee member.

My position includes both a 50/50 research and extension appointment. While this position does not have a formal teaching appointment, I have strived to guest lecture for both on- and off-campus classes, and provide leadership and participation in graduate training through advising students or serving on student committees. Additionally, starting in 2022, I will teach FST 5034: Good Agricultural and Manufacturing Practices; through the Virginia Tech Online Masters in Agricultural Life Sciences program (OMALS). My research and extension program focuses on reducing foodborne pathogen contamination throughout the produce supply chain.