EAST LANSING, Mich. - Thomas S. Whittam has been selected as the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center's (NFSTC) new Hannah Professor of Evolutionary Microbiology in Food Safety at Michigan State University.
Whittam was chosen following an extensive national search by the NFSTC, in conjunction with the department of microbiology and the department of food science and human nutrition.
"This was a very successful search, thanks to the effort and intellectual foresight of the search committee, the two academic departments and their chairs," said MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon. "I know that Dr. Whittam will bring much talent and leadership to the programs here at MSU."
As the Hannah professor, Whittam will conduct research on the emergence and evolution of bacteria relevant to food safety. His research will include population genetic and molecular evolution, genetics of bacterial populations, population biology of infectious food-related diseases and host-parasite relationships. He will lead a diverse group of faculty affiliated with the NFSTC who investigate food pathogens, bacterial genetics, virulence factors, medical microbiology, risk analysis and related food safety concerns.
"As new food pathogens emerge and evolve, Dr. Whittam's acceptance to join our team couldn't be more timely," said NFSTC Interim Director Ed Mather. "His extensive experience and background in genomic research will be a valuable asset to the center as we pursue more predictive and preventive measures to control foodborne illnesses."
Whittam comes to MSU from Pennsylvania State University, where he has been with the department of biology since 1985. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in evolutionary biology in 1981 and performed postdoctoral work in population genetics at the University of Rochester. He is a member of the Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics and has received the Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.
Whittam, who is best known for his extensive work on the evolutionary factors associated with pathogenic E. coli 0157:H7, begins his new position in January 2001.
The John A. Hannah Distinguished Professorships were established in 1969 to expand and maintain excellence in the faculty across broad areas of MSU. They are awarded to exceptional scholar-teachers to honor Hannah's 25 years of service as president of the university.