Catherine Cutter

PhD (Clemson), Associate Professor of Food Science

Catherine (Nettles) Cutter is an associate professor and food safety extension specialist in the Department of Food Science at Penn State. Dr. Cutter received her bachelor of science and master of science from University of Connecticut in pathobiology, and a doctorate in food technology, as well as a minor in food microbiology, from Clemson University (South Carolina). She was employed as a research microbiologist at USDA-Agricultural Research Service, US Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, from 1992–1999 after which time, she joined Penn State.

As part of her Extension appointment, she also conducts a number of food safety-related workshops and short courses that are designed for food handlers and food industry professionals. Her research program focuses on improving the microbial quality and safety of fresh and further processed meat, poultry, and seafood products. She is interested in determining the overall prevalence/incidence of pathogens in these food products.

Seogchan Kang

PhD (Wisconsin), Professor of Plant Pathology

Kang’s research interests center on fungal biology, evolution and interactions with other organisms at multiple levels, ranging from genes important for these processes to geospatial and temporal structure dynamics of pathogen communities. He uses a combination of molecular genetics, genomics, imaging and informatics tools to study these topics. He teaches several courses, including molecular genetics of plant-pathogen interactions, professional development, plant genomics, and crop biosecurity.

Gretchen Kuldau

PhD (California), Associate Professor of Plant Pathology

Dr. Kuldau is an associate professor of plant pathology at Penn State. She holds a PhD from University of California, Berkeley, in molecular and physiological plant biology. She then completed post-doctoral research in fungal molecular biology and evolution at the University of British Columbia, University of Kentucky, and USDA Agricultural Research Service in Athens, Georgia. She joined the plant pathology faculty at Penn State in 2000 and conducts research in mycotoxicology with an emphasis on Fusarium toxins and the mycotoxicology of silages.

Dr. Kuldau has developed courses in mycotoxicology and agricultural biosecurity and contributes to teaching in mycology, microbiology, and the master's in biotechnology program. She has chaired the mycotoxicology committee and the emerging pathogen threats toxins sub-committee of the American Phytopathological Society and has been an invited participant in several workshops hosted by the Department of Homeland Security and USDA that focused on evaluating threats to agriculture.

Walter R. McVey, Jr.

MS (West Virginia University), Sr. Project Manager in VBSC

Walter McVey is program director in VBSC at Penn State. He directs the Joint University Partnership (JUP) with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency providing visiting scientists, scientific mentors, research collaborators and subject matter experts in support of their Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP). The mission of the CBEP is to empower partner countries to detect, diagnose, and report to the international community incidences of select agent infectious diseases in both humans and animals. McVey received his bachelor's in animal science from Penn State and went on to receive his master of science in reproductive physiology from West Virginia University.