Laura Strawn
Laura Strawn
1230 Washington Street SW
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Expertise
Food Microbiology, Food Safety
Education
- Ph.D., Food Science, Cornell University, 2014
- M.S., Food Science, University of Florida, 2009
- B.S., Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, 2007
Professional Appointments
2020-Present: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science & Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
2014-2020: Assistant Professor - Department of Food Science & Technology, Eastern Shore AREC, Virginia Tech, Painter, VA
2014: Postdoctoral Researcher - Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Honors and Awards:
- Agent-Specialist Partnership Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension Professional Development Conference, 2nd Place, 2024
- Applied Research Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension Professional Development Conference, 1st Place, 2023
- Applied Research Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension Professional Development Conference, 2nd Place, 2022
- Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award, International Association for Food Protection, 2021
- Virginia Cooperative Extension poster “Applied Research” category, 1st Place, 2019
- Agent-Specialist Partnership Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2nd Place, 2019
- Applied Research Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension Professional Development Conference, 3rd Place, 2018
- Virginia Cooperative Extension poster “Agent – Specialist Partnership” category, 3rd Place, 2017
- Food and Drug Administration Outstanding Service Award for Service to the Delmarva Food Safety Task Force, 2016
- Food and Drug Administration Leveraging/Collaboration Award, 2016
- Applied Research Poster Competition, Virginia Cooperative Extension Professional Development Conference, 3rd Place, 2016
- John and Shirley Gerken Professional Development Award, 2015
- Center for Produce Safety Travel Scholarship, 2015
- Keynote Address, Australian/New Zealand Center for Produce Safety, 2015
- American Society for Microbiology Career Development Grants, 2014/2015
- Career Development Grants for Postdoctoral Women, American Society for Microbiology, 2014
Overview
My position includes both a research (50%) and extension (50%) appointment. While this position does not have a formal teaching appointment, I have strived to guest lecture for both on- and off-campus classes, and provide leadership and participation in graduate training through advising students or serving on student committees. Additionally, starting in 2022, I will teach FST 5034: Good Agricultural and Manufacturing Practices; through the Virginia Tech Online Masters in Agricultural Life Sciences program (OMALS). My research and extension program focuses on reducing foodborne pathogen contamination throughout the produce supply chain. My overarching goal is to pair my two appointments, research and extension, to complement each other. To achieve this, I have applied research/extension objectives that include both field (e.g., sampling commercial packinghouses or harvesters) and laboratory (e.g., benchtop, growth chamber) experiments. Discovery from these projects is disseminated directly to stakeholders through numerous extension activities. My program empowers produce growers, packers, and other stakeholders in the supply chain to make risk-based decisions for their operations by providing them with science-based information and practical solutions to limit contamination events.
Teaching
FST 5034- Good Agricultural and Manufacturing Practices
Research and Extension
- Development of best practices and mitigation strategies to enhance the microbial safety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the field to fork continuum. For example, investigating the survival, growth, and transfer of foodborne pathogens between contamination sources, produce and produce-contact surfaces. This research will generate a better understanding of pathogen behavior in the produce field to fork continuum and allow for the development of targeted interventions.
- Use of subtyping to investigate the ecology and transmission of bacterial foodborne pathogens in produce pre- and post-harvest environments. For example, subtyping pathogenic isolates from produce packinghouses to map spatio-temporal contamination patterns to identify control strategies.
- Development and dissemination of educational programs and resources to promote produce safety and assist in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule compliance for growers, packers, distributors, and other stakeholders.