Dr. Kali Kniel assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection at the conclusion of IAFP 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Kniel is a professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware in Newark, where she has been since 2004. Her teaching responsibilities include courses on epidemiology and foodborne disease; controversial and social issues of food science; and food security. Dr. Kniel leads an active research program studying issues related to food safety education; produce safety; and environmental transmission and persistence of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. She is also active with local growers and food producers in the Delmarva area and abroad.

An IAFP Member since 1999, Dr. Kniel is a member of several Professional Development Groups and has served on numerous committees throughout her membership, including the Program Committee for both IAFP’s Annual Meeting and the IAFP European Symposium; the Black Pearl Award Selection Committee; Food Protection Trends’ Editorial Board and Management Committee; Journal of Food Protection’s Management Committee; and currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Food Protection. Dr. Kniel is a member of the IAFP Affiliate, the Capital Area Food Protection Association. She was the recipient of the IAFP Elmer Marth Educator Award in 2015.

Dr. Kniel received her B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Molecular Cell Biology, and Ph.D. in Food Science, all from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. From 2002–2004, she served as a postdoctoral research microbiologist with the Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.

In addition to Dr. Kniel, other members of the Executive Board include:

• President-Elect, Roger Cook, Ph.D., New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington, New Zealand
• Vice President, Ruth Petran, Ph.D., Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota
• Secretary, Michelle Danyluk, Ph.D., University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida
• Past President, Tim Jackson, Ph.D., Driscoll’s of the Americas, Watsonville, California
• Affiliate Council Chair, Maria Ma, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma