Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, UMass Extension, and the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station,
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lynne McLandsborough, Professor of Food Science, as interim director of the Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (CAFE) and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. She will start the position on September 1, 2023.
Dr. McLandsborough is a highly respected food microbiologist who has made significant contributions to the field. Her research has focused on food safety including biofilm formation of pathogenic and spoilage organisms in the food processing environment and how to remove them. One of her major accomplishments is the development of antimicrobial delivery systems, and she is currently working on developing non-water-based cleaning and sanitation systems for use in the food industry. She has devoted much time and effort to support excellence in teaching and advising in the Food Science program and has made extensive service contributions to the university.
In addition to her research, McLandsborough has collaborated with extension personnel in the Food Science and Nutrition departments to applied research and to UMass Extension programs in food safety in service of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts constituents. McLandsborough is an experienced administrator who has completed the HERS Leadership Institute. She has served as the Head of the Department of Food Science since 2020, and Co-Chairs the Food Science Industry Advisory Board. She will step out of the Department Head role while serving as CAFE Director.
McLandsborough earned her BA in Microbiology from Miami University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She has been a member of the UMass faculty since 1995 and is well known for her expertise and dedication to the field, which have made her a valuable asset to the university and the wider food industry.
We are immensely pleased that she has agreed to accept this critically important position.
A national decanal search for a permanent Director of CAFE will commence in the fall.
Please join us in welcoming Interim Director McLandsborough.
Nathaniel Whitaker
Interim Dean
College of Natural Sciences
Michael F. Malone
Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement
