Biography

Kevin D. Walker, M.S., Ph.D. is a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University (MSU). At present, he is involved in initiatives that include food and its connectivity in an increasingly complex world, as well as strategic initiatives where animal health, public health and the environment intersect at the national and global level. Dr. Walker's areas of expertise include animal diseases, economics, food safety, international trade standards and agreements, leadership, and policy. Before coming to MSU, he spent eight years as the Director of Agricultural Health and Food Safety within the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture, based in Costa Rica. In this position, he worked with national governments in the thirty-four countries in the Americas to enhance public infrastructure, leadership development, emerging issues assessments, and implementation of international trade standards and agreements. Prior to working overseas, he was the Director of the Centers for Emerging Issues within U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection/Veterinary Services. During this time the Center carried out a variety of national risk analyses for emerging issues including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), E. coli O157:H7, avian influenza, and tuberculosis. Dr. Walker has collaborated and worked with a large number of organizations including the World Trade Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the International Plant Protection Convention, the Codex Alimentarius, and served on various committees with the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.