Dr. Joy Waite-Cusic runs an integrated research, outreach, and education program focused on improving the safety and quality of our foods. She works on real-world microbial problems facing the food industry from farm to fork. Current projects range from field trials to investigate potential causes for the 2020 and 2021 Salmonella outbreaks in onions to evaluating different aging conditions to prevent excessive gas formation in Cheddar cheese. She partners closely with extension faculty across the state to deliver a diversity of workshops to help farms and food manufacturers to comply with federal food safety regulations as well as national collaborative efforts to support the innovation and modernization of home food preservation for consumers. The 2023-2024 Food Safety Squad has 24 members, including 10 M.S. students hailing from throughout the U.S. and 6 undergraduates that call Oregon ‘home’.