Mindy Brashears, a former Husker and current United States Department of Agriculture official, will examine the merger of science with policy to ensure food safety in a 10 a.m. April 15 talk at the Nebraska Innovation Campus’ Food Innovation Center, Room 277.

The talk is free and open to the public.

As a deputy under secretary, Brashears leads the USDA’s food safety and inspection service. The group’s mission is to protect the public’s health by preventing foodborne illness, modernizing inspection systems, policies and approaches, and achieving operational excellence. Brashears has served in the role since Jan. 29.

Prior to the USDA, Brashears was a professor and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University.

Her research program focused on improving food safety standards to make an impact on public health. Brashers’ work evaluated interventions in pre- and post-harvest environments and on the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance in animal feeding systems.

Brashers has an extensive publication record in peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to speak at national and international events on the topics of her research to give keynote addresses. Her research has resulted in more than 20 patents or patents pending for her innovative approach to improving food safety in the food supply.

Brashears began her career at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, working as an assistant professor and extension food safety specialist from 1997 to 2001.

The seminar is supported by the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.