The non-profit group Stop Foodborne Illness has extended the application deadline for the Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship until June 15.

The fellowship program is a partnership with the Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program. The fellow will live in Chicago and work with Stop Foodborne Illness while completing a 12-credit online Food Safety Certificate with Michigan State University. The fellowship includes housing, benefits, salary and tuition.

Eligible applicants include recent graduates (2016-2018) with a food science or animal science undergraduate degree from a U.S. Land Grant University. The non-profit organization said preference will be given to those seeking a career in the food industry or food regulation.

About Dave Theno
At age 66, food safety pioneer Dave Theno was hit and killed by a large wave while swimming with his grandson in Hawaii on June 19, 2017.

At the time of his death, Theno was CEO of Gray Dog Partners Inc., based in Del Mar, CA. He been CEO for the food safety consulting business since 2009.

Theno made history in food safety circles after he was hired as senior vice president and chief food safety officer for Jack-in-the-Box in 1993. The San Diego fast food chain was reeling from a massive and deadly outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. Four deaths and hundreds of illnesses were blamed on the burger chain.

At Jack in the Box, Theno implemented a comprehensive Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. He was instrumental in requiring finished product test-and-hold protocols for hamburger. The safety measure initially irked those in the meat industry, but was later almost universally adopted.

Theno was also actively involved in numerous food industry and scientific organizations. In May 2017 he posthumously received the lifetime achievement award at the Food Safety Summit as part of the annual NSF Food Safety Innovation awards.

The Dave Theno fellow will:

  • Work in the Stop Foodborne Illness office 35 hours a week;
  • Complete two projects defined by the Stop and MSU Online Food Safety Directors;
  • Participate in weekly Safe Food Coalition calls; with possible travel to Washington, D.C.;
  • Assist the community coordinator in identified initiatives;
  • Help staff Stop’s booth at conferences, including the 2019 International; Association for Food Protection conference in Louisville, KY;
  • Attend “Creating a Food Safety Culture Executive Education” at MSU, May 21-24, 2019; and
  • Finish the MSU Food Safety Certificate coursework (12 credits).

A studio apartment, which is provided for the duration of the fellowship, is located in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. According to the organization it is wholly furnished, including full kitchen, basic cable and utilities. The Stop Foodborne Illness office is in the same building as the fellowship apartment.

In order to be considered for the fellowship, the application and supplemental materials must now be received by the organization no later than the extended deadline of June 15, 2018.

Applicants will need official transcripts from their degree granting university and three letters of recommendation (2 academic, 1 personal). Additionally, applicants will need a Statement of Intent outlining their background, professional interests, their reason for wanting this fellowship, and how they believe it will help their future career.

To review and begin the application process click here.

About STOP Foodborne Illness 
STOP Foodborne Illness is a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens by advocating for sound public policies, building public awareness and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness.

Former FDA Deputy Commissioner of Foods and current board member for STOP, Mike Taylor, said the organization helped create a culture of food safety that has been the driver of “everything that’s happened since [1993] … It’s absolutely clear that [STOP is the] catalyst, and that change of mindset has had a transformative effect on the food system in this country.”