As 2020 came to a close, I was asked many times, “What’s next?” Where is a person to go after serving as the highest-ranking governmental food safety official in the country? I had already decided long before my time was over at USDA that I was destined to rejoin academia. My time with FSIS was wonderful and I worked with the finest scientists, administrators and inspectors anyone could ever be so honored to encounter, but I was grateful and excited to return to Texas Tech University and to step into my new title of “Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety.”

I also resumed my role as Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence. It was great to be back to the world of academic freedom where speaking your mind is encouraged and embraced! (I absolutely loved my job in Washington and I’ll speak about that more later!)

Academia sometimes gets a bad rap in D.C. I often heard, “Why are university politics so ugly? Because the stakes are so small.” The origin of this quote is attributed to many sources, but it is a common expression in Washington. I have a different perspective having served in both the federal government and in academia: The stakes may seem small compared to the decisions made as the head of a federal agency, but I leave with a different viewpoint.

Academia has huge impacts that hide behind the day-to-day activities of teaching classes, publishing research papers and serving on committees. Instead of overseeing new food safety policies for the country, I get to mentor the next generation of food safety change agents. It’s my focus on people and investing my knowledge into others as I pass on wisdom where I find true value. There are few accolades or news stories, but that doesn’t mean it’s a small thing nor should it be taken it lightly. Every great scientist began as a student.

I carry the responsibility to pass on what I have learned to make the world of food safety better. “Driving the narrative” and “telling your story” are two phrases I use often in various contexts. To me, the university environment is the best place to tell my story and to drive the next narrative. Teaching and mentoring 20-something year-olds is a blessing! At this age, they are eager and ready to learn. They are risk-takers who want to change the world. They go out and carry the knowledge given to them into their workplaces.

I didn’t realize the impact of my role as a professor until I was serving in D.C. I was intent on visiting as many establishments as I could to meet our USDA employees. We went to establishment after establishment and it became somewhat of a joke that I had a former student in every meat and poultry plant in the nation. While that wasn’t 100% accurate, it is a noble goal. The next generation is strong and they will be making the decisions of the future. They need mentors, leaders and teachers to guide them. I embrace the opportunity to pass on the knowledge to continue to impact the food industry in the years to come through the students I mentor and the research that I direct.

Not only will I be mentoring students, I will be conducting research, teaching, doing administrative activities. I’m still figuring out exactly what that looks like, but the world of academia fits me well! The story is not over. As a matter of fact, a new chapter is just getting started! Stay tuned!!

The next chapter

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