The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine has named Scott R.R. Haskell, DVM, PhD, as director of the Online Food Safety Program (OFS) and associate professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences effective January 2, 2019. He will provide leadership to the Program, which serves a critical role in training leaders in food safety.
“Dr. Haskell’s credentials and past experiences make him a great asset to the Online Food Safety Program,” says Dr. Melinda Wilkins, interim chair for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “His proven leadership will help guide the team and continue to grow the program.”
The OFS’s transdisciplinary approach to protecting an increasingly complex food system is central to the improvement of public health. An important component of the program is building a community of scholars that leverages all the knowledge of stakeholders, including alumni, academic leaders, government and non-governmental organizations—everyone who plays a role in food safety.
Prior to his position at MSU, Haskell served as program director for the Veterinary Technology Program at Yuba College in Marysville, CA. He also is lead instructor with the MSU Institute of Food Laws and Regulations, where he teaches graduate veterinarians, law students, and food science graduate students. He was in large animal practice for 17 years prior to entering academia. His scope of work spans a variety of topics to include global client engagement; organizational, leadership, and cooperative development; and personal engagement. For more than 30 years, Haskell has accumulated international experience through work with programs and consultancies in 29 countries.
An alumnus of the University of California, Davis, Haskell earned his DVM, MPVM, and PHD and his MS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He focuses on global veterinary medicine, development and implementation of distance education programs, food safety and security, global water quality issues, global sustainable agriculture systems development, and pre-and post-harvest food safety.
“Dr. Haskell’s experience with food laws, regulations, and industry, as well as in organizational development and distance learning, brings a set of skills that makes him uniquely suited for this role,” says Birgit Puschner, DVM, DAVBT, PhD, dean of the College. “He is passionate about global food safety and sustainability and providing advanced education to people who work to keep our food supply safe.” He succeeds Melinda Wilkins, DVM, MPH, PhD, who has been named associate professor of One Health, Public Health, and Global Health Education and is currently interim chair for the College’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.