Darrell Donahue, chair of the biosystems and agricultural engineering department, has been named director of Michigan State University’s Institute of Water Research. His appointment is effective immediately.
He replaces Jon Bartholic who retired Jan. 31, after serving as the institute’s director since 1983.
Donahue has recently worked in the realm of food safety, lending his expertise in statistics, modeling and simulation to issues related with chemical and microbial risk assessment. He served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow from 2007-08 at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he focused on security and health affairs. He continues to consult with the government on security issues related to risk assessment.
Additionally, he has served on three National Academy of Sciences and international panels addressing food safety and currently serves as a consultant on two World Health Organization food safety committees.
Prior to coming to MSU in 2015, Donahue served as research director and vice president of operations at Maine Maritime Academy.
He began his academic career in 1995 at the University of Maine, where he served as professor of chemical engineering, associate director of the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute and was affiliated with the Maine Water Research Institute.
Donahue earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University.