Meet the Expert: Pat Curtis

Patricia A. (Pat) Curtis is a native Texan and received her PhD at Texas A&M. Before joining the Food Systems Institute at Auburn University as Professor and Director, Dr. Curtis taught at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and North Carolina State University. Dr. Curtis has focused her research on quality and safety attributes of poultry and egg products. To get to know Dr. Curtis, we asked her a few questions.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I am a food scientist. Most of my career has been spent working on poultry safety and egg safety and quality. More recently, I have become Director of the Auburn University Food Systems Institute (AUFSI) where we work with all types of food and food systems. AUFSI collaborates with a number of other universities to develop and deliver online training programs for food inspectors. You can see all of our completed courses here. This has led to some interesting projects like the development of an iTunes app called Tailgate Times. Through the app you receive a free magazine for each Auburn home game, which focuses on tailgating topics and food tips. I also just received a grant to create a “Virtual Chicken – Digestive Tract.” This is a follow up for a Virtual Chicken-Reproductive Tract we created several years ago. Only this time instead of a video we plan to create a more interactive 3D-type experience.

If you could have one superpower what would it be?

I would like to be able to clone myself. I commonly would love to be in two places at once. Or I would like to upload information into my brain the way that you upload information into computers. There is so much information with so little time to research and learn it all.

What’s the last good book you read?

Not really a book but a report that provides some interesting reading: Horizon Report – 2015 Higher Education Edition.

What are three words that best describe you?

Early adopter (I enjoy trying out all the new technologies), creative (I like to think outside the box) and innovative (I look for new solutions).

What do you like to do in your free time?

Reading, knitting and stained glass.

What are you most passionate about?

Exploring creative ways to provide high quality on-demand educational experiences to those who want to learn and need/want that information immediately.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a couple of projects that focus on developing Hazard Analsis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan for the poultry processing industry. I just completed a Poultry HACCP iBook that should be available in iTunes in the very near future. I am also completing an online on-demand poultry HACCP training course.