Faculty & Staff
Faculty
Jianghong Meng, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D.
Director
(301) 405-8382
jmeng@umd.edu
Jianghong received his veterinary medicine degree in China, Masters of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) and PhD in Comparative Pathology from University of California, Davis. He joined the faculty of University of Maryland in 1996 and is also a professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science. Jianghong’s research interests focus on the identification and characterization of foodborne pathogens and bacterial antimicrobial resistance, and he has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, reviews, and book chapters on the subject.
Jianghong has served on several national and international committees including the US National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria of Foods (NACMAF), Microbiology Committee of the United States Pharmacopeia, National Academies’ Committee on Review of the Food Safety and Inspection Service Risk-Based Approach to Public Health Attribution, and Asia Pacific Economic Corporation’s (APEC) Partnership Training Institute Network.
He has been working with government agencies and organizations on food safety in China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Mexico, Vietnam, and United Kingdom.
Paul Mazzocchi, Ph.D.
Associate Director
(301) 405-8382
pmazzocc@umd.edu
Dr Mazzocchi has been in leadership positions at the University of Maryland throughout his career. He is well known for his ability and interest in starting new programs and shepherding them to the point of stability. Examples include his efforts as the founding leader of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, the College of Chemical and Life Sciences, JIFSAN and his newest venture in launching the University of Maryland¹s first on line degree program, the Master of Chemical and Life Sciences (MCLFS) program. He has been the advisor and mentor of 24 PhD students and numerous Masters Students and postdoctoral fellows. He has been the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on over $20M in grant funds from NIH, NSF, USDA, FDA and industry. He has served as a consultant to Westvaco Corp., Gillette Research and Biochemical Research Inc. His board memberships included the Board of Advisors, World of Chemistry, 1987-1990, Editorial Advisory Board, Chemistry in the Community 1989-91, Board of Directors, Associates of the National Agricultural Library, 1990-1993, Board of Trustees, Consortium for International Earth Sciences Information Network, 1987-89, Member, Board of Directors, Riley Memorial Foundation, 1990-98. He has served as a consultant and member of review committees for the National Science Foundation, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Environmental Health and Safety, Beltsville Agricultural research Center (BARC, USDA) and as Member, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Board of Scientific Counselors (NIH).
He has worked extensively in Egypt, Brazil and Israel.
Janie Dubois, Ph.D.
Laboratory Manager
(301) 405-8936
jdubois@umd.edu
Janie received her Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology from Universite Laval in Quebec City (Qc, Canada), and her master's and PhD in Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry from McGill University (Montreal, Qc, Canada). Prior to Joining JIFSAN, she held various positions in laboratory management, applications and product management at Malvern Instruments. Janie was first at JIFSAN in 2003-2005, when she held a Research Associate position performing microbiology and chemistry in a project at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Her research interests have included oil oxidation and chemical imaging applied to infectious diseases, but her current research in IFSTL is focused on food safety methods. Janie has been involved in training activities in China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, Singapore and Japan.
Clare Narrod, Ph.D.
Research Scientist and Manager, Risk Analysis Program
(301) 405-1780
cnarrod@umd.edu
Clare received her Ph.D. in Energy Management and Environmental Policy in 1997 and a Master’s Degree in International Development and Appropriate Technology both from the University of Pennsylvania. From 1998-2000 she served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Risk Analysis Fellow at USDA. Prior to coming to JIFSAN, she was at the International Food Policy Research Institute where she conducted research to improve food and water safety along the value chains of poor producers. In the past, she worked at the Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis of the United States Department of Agriculture and at the Food and Agriculture Organization. She has also consulted for the World Bank and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. Recent research interests have been to identify cost-effective aflatoxin and avian flu risk reduction measures for economically disadvantaged producers in developing countries, and understanding the role of public-private partnerships in improving market access for the poor. Currently she is working with FDA to develop metrics to evaluate the impact of food safety train the trainers programs in developing countries. She has field experience in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Thailand, Mali, Mexico, Vietnam, and Zambia.
James Rushing, Ph.D.
Manager, International Training Programs
(941) 201-4603
rushingj@umd.edu
Jim Rushing currently works with JIFSAN as the Manager of International Training Programs. He retired from Clemson University in 2008 where he held the rank of Professor and Center Director at the Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC. After retiring he worked almost two years as the Vice President one of the largest fruit and vegetable production companies in the U.S.
He earned the PhD in Horticultural Sciences from the University of Florida in 1985. During his 29 years of University service as a postharvest specialist, he took professional development sabbaticals. He spent three years as a self-employed consultant based in Santiago, Chile. Later he spent one year with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Visiting Scientist at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in College Park, MD. He has worked in 36 countries in the fruit and vegetable industries.
Jim has been actively involved in fresh produce food safety issues since 1990 when he collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control to investigate outbreaks of Salmonella illness associated with produce from South Carolina. He went on to assist with various grant-funded food safety programs and has conducted training at the international, national, regional, state and county levels. He assisted JIFSAN with the development of a Train-the-Trainer Course for international audiences and has recently updated the training manual that is available at the JIFSAN website.
Angela Winslow, Ph.D.
Biologist, Research Associate
(301) 405-2432
awinslow@umd.edu
Angela received her B.S. in Biology from Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA), and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biology with an emphasis in Microbiology from Howard University (Washington, DC). In the summer of 2007, as a Minority Health and International Research Training Fellow, she conducted research on the isolation and treatment of wound pathogens using the oil from Terminalia catappa seeds at the University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria. While completing her Ph.D. (2011), she served as a volunteer graduate student intern at the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in Laurel, MD. Prior to joining JIFSAN, Angela served as adjunct faculty at the University of the District of Columbia Community College as well as Tidewater Community College (Portsmouth, VA). Her research interests include: the inhibitory effect of bacteriocins from various sources; identification of pathogenic organisms using molecular techniques; and the control of pathogenic and food spoilage organisms.
Senior Fellows
George Evancho, MS - Senior Fellow, Corporate Relations
(301) 405-8382
gevancho@umd.edu
George Evancho's career in the food industry spans nearly 42 years, 39.5 of which were spent with Campbell Soup Co. Over the years, he held various positions in R&D, analytical services, mushroom research, microbiology, food safety, and quality, retiring as Group Director – Food Safety in July 2008. He led Campbell's global food safety program (which included microbiology and thermal processing) and provided technical support for its global operations. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Corporate Relations of the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) at the University of Maryland.
George is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists and has been active in various professional organizations over the years. He served on several Committees and sub-Committees of the National Food Processors Association (now Grocery Manufacturers Association), served as advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Codex Committee for Food Hygiene, served as member and Chair (1990-1994) of the Technical Committee on Food Microbiology of the International Life Sciences Institute, member and Chair (2006-2008) of the Executive Advisory Board of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology in Chicago, member and Chair (2006-2008) of the Board of Advisors of the Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, and has been a member of the JIFSAN Advisory Council for almost 10 years. He is a contributing author to several books on food safety, has published numerous scientific papers on microbiology and food safety and contributed chapters to the Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods.
David Lineback, Ph.D. - Senior Fellow, Food Safety
(301) 405-8382
lineback@umd.edu
Dr. David R. Lineback, Senior Fellow, Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), University of Maryland at College Park is a carbohydrate chemist and food scientist with an extensive academic background. He served as Director of JIFSAN from 1998-2005. Before going to Maryland, he was Dean, College of Agriculture at the University of Idaho (1993-1998). He has held academic appointments at North Carolina State University, the Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University, and the University of Nebraska. He was head of the Department of Food Science at North Carolina State University (1980-1993) and at Pennsylvania State University (1976-1980).
Long active in the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Dr. Lineback served as president of the Institute in 1992-93 and has chaired a number of its committees and two regional sections. He served as president of the AACC in 1983-84 and now chairs its Scientific Advisory Panel. He has been a voting member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Advisory Committee (1992-95). He has been active in the Council of Agricultural Science and Technology; serving on the Board of Directors 1988-91, 1995-97; Executive Committee 1991-95; President-elect 1997-98; President 1998-99. In 1997 he served as chair of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition in Rome. He serves as vice chair of the scientific advisors to the Food, Nutrition, and Safety Committee and on the Board of Trustees of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) – North America and on the Advisory Board for the Food and Drug Law Institute. He serves on the Governing Council, the Management Committee, as Chair of the Scientific Council (1999- ) and President-elect (July 2003) of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). Among the many other organizations Dr. Lineback has served are Food Update (Board of Governors, 1986-94, 1999-), Starch Round Table (1983- ), Food Processors Institute (Board of Trustees, 1987-93), Wheat Industry Council (Regional Advisor, 1982-86), League for International Food Education (Board of Directors, 1983-87), and Committee on Food Protection of the National Academy of Sciences’ Food and Nutrition Board (1983-85).
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Institute of Food Science and Technology (UK) [IFST(UK)], and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology [IAFoST (IuFoST)]. The recipient of several awards, Dr. Lineback earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from Purdue University and a Ph.D. (carbohydrate chemistry) from the Ohio State University.
Training Program Coordinators
Judy Cooper - Coordinator, International Training Programs/ Risk Analysis
(301) 405-1696
jquigley@umd.edu
Marie Ahlgren-Stephanos - Program Management Specialist, Laboratory Training
(301) 405--1342
mahlgren@umd.edu
Staff
Pamela Biery - Business Services Specialist
301-405-1784
pbiery@umd.edu
Tarik Chfadi - Graduate Research Assistant, Risk Analysis Program
(301) 405-9113
tchfadi@arec.umd.edu
Scott Feingold - IT Programmer I
(301) 314-6825
sfeingol@umd.edu
Mary Grimley - Financial Officer
(301) 405-8434
grimleym@umd.edu
Paul Guevara - IT Support Assistant
(301) 314-6825
pguevara@umd.edu
Kyle McKillop - IT Programmer Analyst
(301) 405-8353
kmckillo@umd.edu
Vernora (Nora) Petty - Assistant to the Director
(301) 405-8382
vpetty@umd.edu
Timothy Shaffer - IT Support Assistant
(301) 314-6806
tshaffer@umd.edu
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Elizabeth M. Calvey, Ph.D. - Associate Director, JIFSAN
Team Leader, Liaison and Partnership Team (FDA/CFSAN)
(240) 402-1981
elizabeth.calvey@fda.hhs.gov
Renate Reimschuessel, DVM, Ph.D. - Health Scientist Advisor
Office of Research (FDA/CVM)
(301) 210-4024
renate.reimschuessel@fda.hhs.gov
