Cooperative Extension Specialist Dr. Linda Harris is FST's newest department chair. She began her five-year term on July 1, replacing Professor Mike McCarthy who retired on June 29. 

Dr. Harris's research focuses on microbial food safety emphasizing the microbiology of fresh fruits and vegetables and tree nuts. She works to develop and validate standard microbiological methods and uses these methods to evaluate the behavior of food borne pathogens on fruits, vegetables and tree nuts under different storage and processing conditions. She uses these methods to evaluate antimicrobial treatments including various sanitizers and thermal processes for their efficacy in reducing microbial populations on various cut and intact produce and tree nut surfaces. 

Welcome Dr. Harris!