CHICAGO, July 2021 – The national nonprofit public health organization Stop Foodborne Illness announced that Shrinidhi “Nidhi” Joshi has been named its 2021-2022 Dave Theno Food Safety Fellow. 

Joshi was selected by a committee comprised of professionals and educators from STOP and from the Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program.

“Year after year, the quality of candidates applying for the Theno Fellowship is remarkable,” said Mitzi Baum, CEO of STOP. “Among a field of incredibly qualified candidates, Nidhi stood out. Her commitment to research in the food safety field is impressive and her dedication to helping people through her works aligns with our mission at STOP. We’re so pleased to have her join us and contribute to our work.”

Dave Theno, a food safety consultant who died in 2017 and for whom the Fellowship is named, was instrumental in establishing food preparation and cooking protocols that permanently changed procedures in the restaurant and fast-food industries. The Theno Food Safety Fellowship is an opportunity for a young food scientist to work with STOP professionals and learn from members of the extended STOP community about the real-world health consequences of failures in food safety.

“The study of infectious diseases and how I can contribute to preventing them has been an academic and professional passion,” said Joshi. “STOP has so many remarkable initiatives that truly help educate people about foodborne illnesses. I really feel that the work they do is important, it makes a difference. I’m proud to be part of their team.” 

The Fellowship, which includes housing, pay and benefits, requires that the Fellow work full-time for Stop Foodborne Illness and complete a 12-credit Online Food Safety Graduate Certificate with Michigan State University.

“Our graduate certificate will provide the Dave Theno Fellow with a strong foundational knowledge on foodborne illnesses from cause to prevention,” said Dr. Patty Weber, Director of the MSU Online Food Safety Program. “Combining this science-based curriculum with the expertise gained at STOP prepares the Fellow to take a holistic approach to combat foodborne diseases in the US and beyond.”

Joshi, a graduate of Texas Tech University, graduated with Honors and Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry. During her college career, she conducted research on a food safety probiotics project and on a food industry applicable stainless-steel project to identify the attachment of pathogenic bacteria. She was the recipient of multiple research endowments during her years at Texas Tech.

Joshi is stepping in for Jamie Ragos, STOP’s 2019 -2021 Theno Fellow. Ragos, a Fulbright Scholar, will be heading to Taiwan after COVID-related delays to study/research for a year and is applying to medical schools.

 

To learn more about STOP Foodborne Illness, please visit their website https://stopfoodborneillness.org.