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Vaishali Poswal, a Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant in the South Dakota State University Department of Dairy and Food Science, recently presented her research at the after receiving the prestigious . Her work, centered on food safety and hygienic design, reflects a journey shaped by both personal experiences and scientific dedication.

Growing up in India, dairy was woven into the rhythm of everyday life for Poswal. That early connection sparked a deep curiosity about how milk becomes safe, nutritious products that evolved into a clear academic and professional path. She earned her bachelor’s degree in dairy technology and her master’s degree in dairy microbiology from the National Dairy Research Institute, India’s premier institution for dairy research. These experiences gave her a strong foundation in dairy microbiology, microbial ecology and food safety systems.

Her academic journey then expanded across continents. Poswal moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. at SDSU. The move to the U.S. allowed her to deepen her expertise, work with advanced research tools and contribute to global challenges in pathogen control and dairy safety. Today, her research and her presence at the 3‑A SSI Summit highlight her commitment to strengthening the safety and resilience of the dairy industry.

Poswal’s curiosity about how science can solve real world problems guided her to strengthen her knowledge about pathogens, environmental microflora and the systems that keep food safe. This ultimately led to her research on listeria persistence, a problem that Poswal says demands both scientific rigor and industry-focused solutions.

“Listeria monocytogenes remains one of the most challenging pathogens for the dairy and ready-to-eat food industries because it can survive in cold, wet processing environments and form persistent biofilms,” said Poswal. “When contamination occurs, it leads to costly recalls, production shutdowns, regulatory scrutiny and, most importantly, severe public health consequences.”

Poswal wants to understand why L. monocytogenes persist in dairy processing environments despite routine cleaning and sanitation. She studies how environmental microflora, bacteria naturally occurring on equipment and floor surfaces, interact with listeria and influence its ability to attach, form biofilms and survive stress. She says that by integrating phenotypic assays, genomic tools and imaging approaches, she can identify the microbial and genetic factors that allow listeria to remain in facilities and make recommendations on more effective control strategies.

“Vaishali has accomplished commendable work in environmental pathogen control by employing advanced genomics,” said Sanjeev Anand, distinguished professor in the Department of Dairy and Food Science and Poswal’s adviser. “Her research has demonstrated both academic excellence and practical application in controlling listeria in the dairy processing environment. This contributes significantly to safeguarding consumer health and environmental safety.”

In April, Poswal was selected as a recipient of a 2026 Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Award along with 10 other graduate students from across the nation. The award allowed Poswal to travel to and present her research poster, titled “Phenotypic and Genomic Insights into How Environmental Microflora Influence Listeria in Dairy Processing Environments,” at the 3-A SSI 2026 Summit on Hygienic Design in Chicago earlier this month. The summit, which focuses on food safety, inspection, sanitation, cleaning strategies and more, brought together industry professionals and experts in food processing, equipment fabrication and regulation from across the nation. Along with her poster presentation, Poswal engaged directly with industry leaders and attended educational sessions on hygienic design, employee training, biofilm prevention and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in equipment innovation.

“Receiving this award was both an honor and a meaningful milestone in my academic journey,” said Poswal. “It gave me direct exposure to the world of hygienic design, an area that shapes how equipment is built, cleaned and validated for food safety. Being recognized by an organization that sets industry standards strengthened my confidence and connected my research to real-world applications.”

Poswal was also the recipient of the , the and the 2026-2027 John Brandt Memorial Scholarship from the Land O’Lakes Foundation, each one a testament to her outstanding achievements and dedication to the dairy industry. After completing her Ph.D., she plans to build her career in the dairy industry, specializing in risk assessment and risk management. Poswal hopes to bridge the gap between research and real-world application by translating scientific insights into practical, scalable strategies that strengthen food safety systems. Her long-term goal is to help dairy processors adopt evidence-based monitoring, sanitation and decision-making tools that protect public health and reinforce consumer trust in the safety of dairy products.

Additional information about the Department of Dairy and Food Science, including programs and research, can be found on its website.