Mariana Villarreal Silva

Based in Murrieta, California

Mariana joined the PSA team in February 2022 as a Spanish-Language Extension Associate. Her collaboration includes coordination and participation in training programs, translation and development of produce safety-related relevant documents and guidelines, and overall support for the Spanish-speaking educators, growers and other stakeholders, domestically and internationally.

Mariana has collaborated in diverse food and public health-related work groups. She served as a project microbiologist for the National Food Laboratory, as a laboratory biosafety analyst and an importation technical analyst for the Mexican Federal Department of Agriculture, and as a research and teaching assistant for the Center for Food Safety at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and for the Nutrition and Biochemistry Department in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the National Autonomous University (UNAM) in Mexico. Her interdisciplinary background and bilingual capabilities allow her to serve as a liaison within the food production community, translating not only between languages, but from technical and scientific information into practical solutions.