Univ. of Wyoming Professor Named to National Committee by USDA

A University of Wyoming Agriculture instructor has been named to the National Food Safety Advisory Committee by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Bledar Bisha will sit on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).

Dr. Bisha is one of only 21 professionals appointed to the NACMCF committee. According to the official press release from the University of Wyoming and the USDA, "the committee’s purpose is to provide impartial scientific advice and recommendations to federal food safety agencies."

Selected professionals were appointed based on the following: expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and any other relevant disciplines.

“NACMCF members bring a wealth of expertise and dedication to the critical mission of ensuring the safety of our nation’s meat and poultry products,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack commented in a recent news release from the USDA. “Their contributions will help us continue to strengthen our nation’s food supply and protect the health and well-being of American consumers.”

It's quite the honor to represent any state at the national level, and doubly so for a less-populated state like Wyoming to have a professional representing the state at such a level. Dr. Bisha said of the honor, “I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the country—I think that is one of the benefits of doing this type of work,” he says. “You learn from others and interact with others. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for me to represent the University of Wyoming and Wyoming as a state.”

About Dr. Bisha

Dr. Bledar Bisha is a renowned microbiologist specializing in food safety microbiology. He began his career at the University of Wyoming in 2013 and has since become the head of the Animal Science department at the university. Dr. Bisha has a veterinarian degree from the Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania, and a Masters of Science and Ph.D. degree in Food Science and Technology (Food Microbiology) from Iowa State University. Find more info on Dr. Bledar Bish by visiting his University of Wyoming profile here.