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Kristen Gibson, professor of meals security and microbiology within the Department of Food Science, has been appointed director of the Center for Food Safety. (U of A System Division of Agriculture picture by Fred Miller)
The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station has appointed Kristen Gibson, professor of meals security and microbiology, director of the Center for Food Safety.
“The Center for Food Safety coordinates meals security analysis that’s related to the state of Arkansas throughout the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It is dedicated to disseminating analysis findings to Arkansas households and meals industries,” mentioned Jean-François Meullenet, senior affiliate vp for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the analysis arm of the Division of Agriculture.
“Dr. Gibson’s physique of work over greater than a decade on the experiment station has earned her a popularity as one of the nation’s foremost specialists in microbiology and meals security,” Meullenet mentioned. “Her experience is extensively sought, and she or he is a confirmed analysis chief with a profitable monitor file of buying analysis grants to additional this important work.”
Gibson joined the Agricultural Experiment Station in 2010 as a postdoctoral analysis affiliate. She was promoted to assistant professor in 2012, to affiliate professor in 2017 and to professor in 2022. She additionally has a instructing appointment within the U of A’s Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Her analysis focuses on the destiny and transport of pathogens inside meals techniques, together with meals dealing with and processing. She makes a speciality of investigating human noroviruses and meals security associated to contemporary produce and shops. She can also be the lead investigator in a USDA-funded, multi-institutional undertaking to check how secure it’s to eat out through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I can suppose of nobody higher certified to guide this vital middle to learn all Arkansans,” Meullenet mentioned.
“I’m excited to see what we will do going ahead,” Gibson mentioned. “We have new scientists working alongside veteran researchers to concentrate on essential meals issues of safety. I believe it is thrilling to be half of that.”
“I’ve been right here lengthy sufficient to see the middle’s successes and perceive our challenges,” Gibson mentioned. “Food security is a consistently evolving problem in agriculture and meals industries. As quickly as you resolve one drawback, one other crops up. Food security is rarely not going to be a problem.”
The middle’s scientists embody specialists in produce security, virology, low-moisture meals security, novel processing applied sciences, mycotoxins in grains, and meat and poultry security. “We can leverage that collective experience to reply quickly to the meals security challenges that come up,” Gibson mentioned.
The Center for Food Safety’s mission contains public schooling and consciousness of meals and shopper security by means of workshops and coaching, and collaborating with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service to disseminate data, Gibson mentioned.
“People must have a spot they know and belief to seek out solutions to their questions on meals security,” Gibson mentioned.
To study extra about Division of Agriculture analysis, go to the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station web site: aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To find out about Extension Programs in Arkansas, contact your native Cooperative Extension Service agent or go to uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AR_Extension.
To study extra in regards to the Division of Agriculture, go to uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and households by connecting trusted analysis to the adoption of greatest practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts analysis and extension work inside the nation’s historic land grant schooling system. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities inside the University of Arkansas System. It has workplaces in all 75 counties in Arkansas and school on 5 system campuses. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture affords all its Extension and Research packages and providers with out regard to race, coloration, intercourse, gender identification, sexual orientation, nationwide origin, faith, age, incapacity, marital or veteran standing, genetic data, or another legally protected standing, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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