Dr. J. Allen Byrd is a native of Texas, receiving his B.S in Animal Science (1984), M.S. in Nutrition (1987), Ph.D. in Poultry Science (1994) and D.V.M. (1996) from Texas A&M University. In January 1996, Dr. Byrd joined the USDA-ARS Food and Feed Safety Research Unit in College Station as a Post-doctorate Animal Scientist. In 1997, Dr. Byrd accepted a position as a Research Microbiologist in the same unit and is currently the Project leader for pre-harvest food safety research in College Station. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Departments of Poultry Science and Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M University. He research interests have focused on investigating cost efficient pre-harvest Food Safety intervention strategies in poultry. Dr. Byrd is a member of the Poultry Science Association, Southern Poultry Science Society, American Veterinarian Medical Association, American Association of Avian Pathologist, and World’s Poultry Science Association. He has received the USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Area Early Career Research Scientist (2003) and was selected by the USDA-ARS Administrator as the Agency nominee for the Dr. Daniel E. Salmon Award “For Exemplary Achievement in Federal Veterinary Medicine (2004). In 2006, he received the Frank Purdue Live Poultry Food Safety Award from the Poultry Science Association. He authored or co-authored over 130 manuscripts.