Research Interests

Microbial Water Quality

1993-2003-University of Southern Mississippi (Shellfish Sanitation Laboratory)
Prior to beginning my career at the University of California, Davis-Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, I spent 10 years at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory where my primary duties were to manage field and laboratory logistics for the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program (1996-2003) and the Mississippi Shellfish Sanitation Program administered by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, respectively. The Shellfish Sanitation Laboratory was the only USFDA shellfish water analysis laboratory in Mississippi. We also conducted microbial analysis for drinking and ambient waters for the U.S. Park Service and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

2004- Present-University of California, Davis (Western Institute for Food Safety and Security/Western Center for Food Safety) 
My current research interest is measuring the variability of microbial water quality in agricultural water systems to ensure food safety of fresh produce. I have been conducting food safety research at the UC Davis, Western Center for Food Safety an USFDA “Center of Excellence”, we have a particular focus on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) building science-based data to help stakeholders understand and comply with this new regulation. Our research focuses on how physical/chemical processes within watersheds and agricultural water infrastructure create ecologically important conditions favorable to proliferation of disease causing bacteria, virus and protozoa, this includes monitoring and sampling of water, directing data collection of geographic, hydrologic and meteorological conditions as well as preparation of reports and manuscripts. 

Curriculum Vitae