Kristen E Gibson

Kristen E. Gibson is a Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Arkansas, serving as Director of the Center for Food Safety and Director of the Division of Agriculture’s Experiment Station. Her research focuses on pathogen fate in environments, viral detection methods, and food safety at retail/consumer levels. She holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Microbiology from the University of Central Florida.

Education: BS, Microbiology, University of Central Florida; PhD, Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University.

Research Interests: Fate and transport of pathogens, optimization of viral detection in food/water, food safety in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), and microbial risks in hydroponic systems. Her work addresses critical gaps in leafy green safety and 3D food printing biosafety.

Recent articles emphasize disinfectant efficacy, pathogen persistence in food matrices, and CEA food safety. She has secured USDA and industry grants for CEA research.

Lab/Teams: Leads the Center for Food Safety, collaborating on projects like the S.A.F.E.R. CEA initiative. Active in training programs for farmers markets and produce safety.