International Association for Food Protection Holds 2018–2019 Secretary Election

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Des Moines, Iowa - The International Association for Food Protection is proud to announce Dr. Douglas L. Marshall and Dr. Ruth Petran as candidates for the 2018–2019 Secretary. The elected Secretary will assume his/her position following IAFP 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah in July and will serve a five-year term of successive positions. Electronic ballots will be provided to all Association Members, and the election will remain open through March 6, 2018. Election results will be announced in April on the IAFP Web site, in the May IAFP Report, and in the May/June issue of Food Protection Trends.

Dr. Douglas L. Marshall is co-founder, Senior Director, and Chief Scientific Officer with Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. in Fort Collins, Colorado, a division of the global life sciences company Eurofins Scientific. He is also co-founder and Director of the Louisiana-based Food Safety Institute, LLC, an integrated consulting and analytical services company affiliated with Eurofins.

Prior to joining Eurofins, Dr. Marshall held numerous academic positions, including as Associate Dean and Professor of Public Health in the College of Natural and Health Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; Adjunct Professor with the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado in Denver; Professor of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion at Mississippi State University in Starkville; and Assistant Professor of Food Science at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He has served on numerous advisory boards for universities and colleges; is a frequent consultant to various government agencies and private companies; and has had his research and expertise featured in popular press venues, including Consumer Reports, USA Today, and Nature Science Updates. Dr. Marshall formerly served as Contributing Editor for the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Food Microbiology (2001–2007).

A frequently invited speaker, Dr. Marshall is also a prolific book chapter writer. With more than 250 publications and more than 175 invited presentations, his scientific research and outreach interests focus on improving the microbiological quality and safety of foods. Among these is the completion of the four-volume Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering, which he co-edited. An active IAFP Member since 1983, Dr. Marshall has participated in and chaired numerous Professional Development Groups (PDGs) and committees; has organized several workshops and symposia; mentored many students; and was a founding Member of and President and Delegate for the former IAFP Affiliate, the Louisiana Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians (1990–1991). Dr. Marshall served on the IAFP Editorial Boards for both the Journal of Food Protection (2002–2007) and Food Protection Trends (2005–2007). He received the IAFP Elmer Marth Educator Award in 2005 and the Harold Barnum Industry Award in 2016.

Dr. Ruth Petran is RD&E Vice President of Food Safety and Public Health at Ecolab in Eagan, Minnesota. In this position, she provides technical expertise and risk-based consultation to internal and external customers on food safety and public health issues by identifying and tracking emerging food safety trends and new control strategies. Dr. Petran routinely develops food safety messaging for customers and colleagues on a wide variety of topics, such as Ecolab’s scientific materials on 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Flu and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Prior to joining Ecolab, Dr. Petran was a Research Microbiologist and Supplier Quality Manager at Pillsbury, as well as Specifications Manager and Quality Regulatory Operations Manager at General Mills, both in Minnesota. She managed Quality and Food Safety Programs while maintaining a liaison to business teams and has led food safety assessments at food manufacturing facilities worldwide, focusing on the application of HACCP systems and regulatory compliance.

Since joining IAFP in 1986, Dr. Petran has presented in or led symposia at numerous IAFP Annual Meetings and actively participates in PDGs and on the Committee for Control of Foodborne Illness. She received the IAFP Developing Scientist Award in 1987, has served on several award Selection Committees, and is a founding member of the IAFP Affiliate, the Minnesota Food Protection Association. Dr. Petran served on the Food Protection Trends Editorial Board from 2005–2013. She currently serves on IAFP’s Editorial Board for the “Food Microbiology and Food Safety” book series, published by Springer. She also served two terms on the National Advisory Committee for the Microbiological Criteria for Food and currently chairs the Minnesota Food Safety and Defense Task Force. A Certified Food Scientist, Dr. Petran received the Darsh Wasan Food Safety Award from the Institute for Food Safety and Health in 2017.

Dr. Petran holds a B.S. in Consumer Food Science from Cornell University in New York and an M.S. in Food Science and Doctorate in Public Health, both from the University of Minnesota.