The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine has named Melinda Wilkins as director of the Online Master of Science in Food Safety, or MSFS, program and assistant professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences effective Aug. 18. She will provide leadership to the program, which serves a critical role in training leaders in food safety.
“Dr. Wilkins’ experience with governmental agencies and industry, as well as in research and university environments, brings a set of skills that makes her uniquely suited for this role,” said John Baker, dean of the college. “She is passionate about mentoring professionals and offering educational opportunities to those individuals who are already on the front lines working to make and keep our food supply safe.”
The MSFS program’s transdisciplinary approach to protecting an increasingly complex food system is central to the improvement of public health. An important component of the program is building a community of scholars that leverages all the knowledge of stakeholders, including alumni, academic leaders, government and non-governmental organizations—everyone who plays a role in food safety.
Wilkins comes to the college from MSU’s Program in Public Health, where she was an assistant professor, instructor and advisor and will retain some teaching responsibilities in the program. Prior to that, Wilkins worked for the Michigan Department of Community Health, serving as the director of the Division of Communicable Disease from 2004 to 2011. She began her career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services and has extensive experience consulting and teaching in international settings.
An alumna of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, Wilkins earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree at MSU, her master’s of public health from the University of Illinois Springfield, and then returned to earn her Ph.D. from the MSU Department Large Animal Clinical Sciences with a focus in epidemiology. Her areas of expertise include disease surveillance (animal and human), surveillance system evaluation, zoonotic disease, epidemiology, and outbreak investigation.
“The association of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences with the MSFS program makes this a significant appointment,” said Ray Geor, chairperson of the department. “Her expertise in disease surveillance, zoonotic disease and outbreak investigation will add depth to our work in preharvest food safety, one of our core research areas.”
She succeeds Julie Funk, who has been named associate dean of Professional Academic Programs and Student Services in the College of Veterinary Medicine.