Monica A. Ponder

Monica A. Ponder serves as Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology within Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research focuses on microbial ecology of agricultural commodities, pathogen interactions with gut microbiome, and food safety interventions.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University (2005)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Enteric Diseases Surveillance and Epidemiology, CDC (2007)
• B.A. in Microbiology, Miami University (1999)

Her research program investigates gut microbiome interactions in childhood diseases, antibiotic resistance transmission in agro-ecosystems, and novel pathogen inactivation methods for spices and produce. Current projects include prebiotic/probiotic effects on host health, Salmonella inactivation using ethylene oxide/steam, and antibiotic resistance gene tracking from farm to fork.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in foodborne pathogen epidemiology (Salmonella, E. coli), antibiotic resistance dynamics across environmental matrices, and innovative food safety technologies like photocatalytic packaging. Geographic focus spans Virginia and Botswana, emphasizing One Health approaches in diverse agricultural settings.

Teaching Responsibilities:

• FST 4634: Epidemiology of Food and Waterborne Disease
• FST 4644: Fermentation Microbiology
• FST 5634: Epidemiology of Food and Waterborne Disease