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Mr. Kennedy came to the University of Minnesota with a strong background in research, organizational leadership, and project management based on global executive positions with Ecolab and Procter & Gamble. At Ecolab he was vice president of global food and beverage research and development, charged with leading his organization in developing a wide range of animal health and food safety technologies. These included novel sanitizers, FDA-approved process additives, new sanitation technologies, and animal health products. Earlier at Ecolab Mr. Kennedy was director of strategic and emerging technologies, guiding internal and outsourced technology programs. At Procter & Gamble his positions included assignments in Japan and China leading research and development organizations. Through these experiences, Mr. Kennedy has developed expertise in heading research and development initiatives; commercializing new technologies; working with state, federal, and international regulatory agencies; and managing intellectual property. He has a comprehensive understanding of farm and plant operations and the full range of the food chain from farm to fork. His professional activities have included co-chairing the Industrial Research Institute's Committee on New Methods of Investing in Research, which focused on academic/industrial research partnership models. Mr. Kennedy graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science & Engineering in Chemical Engineering degree. He has received six patents and has several additional patents pending. |
Mr. Kennedy is Director of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD). He also serves as Director of Partnerships and External Relations of the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine. Since joining the University, he has taken a leadership role in facilitating grants and contracts that advance research on animal health, food safety, and food-system biosecurity. He also coordinates research programs awarded in these areas and lectures on these topics. 