Vilsack names senior advisor for food safety

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named 7 additional people to hold staff positions in various agencies within the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). This includes Dr. Adela Ramos as senior advisor for food safety.

“I’m delighted to have staff with the breadth and quality of experience that these new people will bring to address the challenges we face at USDA,” Vilsack said. “I look forward to having their help as President Obama and I work to strengthen communities throughout our country, improve the environment, and ensure that our food supply remains safe, sustainable and nutritious.”

Dr. Adela R. Ramos – Senior Advisor.

Ramos most recently worked for Senator Tom Harkin on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where her portfolio included food safety, agricultural research, animal and plant health, and biotechnology issues.

From 2004 to 2005, she served on Senator Harkin’s agriculture committee staff as a congressional science fellow sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A native of Florida, Ramos has a doctorate in microbiology from Cornell University, where she studied plant-microbe interactions, and a B.S. in biology from Duke University.