Mindy Brashears, Ph.D.
Under Secretary for Food Safety
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), overseeing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Dr. Brashears is a recognized leader in food safety, having served as USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. She returned to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence. Dr. Brashers' research has improved meat and poultry production, addressed antimicrobial resistance, and advanced sustainable agriculture across the globe. She has authored numerous publications, holds more than 20 patents or patents pending, and has served in key leadership roles across industry and academia. Her contributions have earned her induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, Fellow status in the American Meat Science Association and the National Academy of Inventors, and multiple distinguished awards for research and service. Under Dr. Brashears' leadership in the Office of Food Safety, FSIS continues to advance its core mission of safeguarding public health while enhancing these efforts through the implementation of Secretary Rollins' five-point plan to bolster food safety.