Margarethe A Cooper

Margarethe A Cooper is an Associate Professor of Practice and the Victor P. Smith Endowed Chair in Food Safety Education at the University of Arizona (UArizona). She specializes in teaching Food Safety, Microbiology, and Parasitology, developing both online and in-person courses for undergraduate and non-majors audiences. Her programs include the SaferFoodCats summer initiative for high school students and collaborations with industry partners to enhance Food Safety Education across Arizona.

Her education includes a Ph.D. in Pathobiology from UArizona (2006) and a B.S. in Microbiology, also from UArizona. Prior roles include Assistant Professor at Los Angeles Pierce College and postdoctoral fellowships in malaria parasite biology and Campylobacter jejuni research at UArizona, followed by USDA Food Safety research.

Research interests focus on foodborne pathogens, microbial interactions in agriculture, and zoonotic disease transmission. Her work spans bacterial community dynamics in fruits, Campylobacter virulence factors, and Giardia epidemiology. She has engaged in outreach programs like 4-H STEM initiatives and tribal food safety training through SaferFoodCats.

Grants and funding support her Food Safety Education Endowment, enabling statewide outreach and curriculum development. She advises students through directed research projects and honors theses, though no specific advisees are listed. Collaborations include USDA and university-industry partnerships to address food safety challenges in agriculture.