Kristen E. Gibson

Kristen E. Gibson is a Professor at the University of Arkansas Department of Food Science and Director of the Center for Food Safety. Her career spans postdoctoral research (2010–2012) to progressive academic roles (Assistant Professor to Professor) since 2012.

• Education: BS in Microbiology (University of Central Florida), PhD in Environmental Engineering (Johns Hopkins University)

Research focuses on pathogen fate/transport in food systems, detection methods for human noroviruses, and retail/consumer food safety. Recent work emphasizes controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and 3D food printing systems.

Key article trends: 3D food printing contamination, viral-bacterial interactions, hydroponic pathogen persistence, and sanitizer efficacy. Awards include USDA-NIFA grants and Center for Produce Safety funding.

Teaching includes FDSC 3202 - Introduction to Food Law, FDSC 5423 - Foodborne Diseases, and advanced epidemiology courses. Outreach involves developing training programs for microgreens growers and strawberry farms.