Kevin Folta
Kevin M. Folta | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Awards | National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Distinguished Mentor Award[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Molecular biology, horticulture, agricultural science |
| Institutions | University of Florida |
| Thesis | Blue light regulation of the pea Lhcb1*4 gene in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (1998) |
Kevin M. Folta is a professor in, and chairman of, the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida.[3]
Education and career
Folta received his B.S. and M.S. in biology in 1989 and 1992, respectively, from Northern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in molecular biology in 1998.[3]
Views
He is a well-known advocate of genetically modified organisms (GMOs),[4] and has said that the scientific consensus that they are safe is comparable to that regarding global warming and vaccines.[5] He is also an outspoken critic of Vani Hari's claims about the alleged dangers of certain food additives.[6]
Alleged conflicts of interest
In early February 2015, the nonprofit organization US Right to Know filed a Freedom of Information Act request against the University of Florida, on the basis that the organization suspected that Folta may have been pressured into claiming that GMOs are safe by food and agricultural companies.[5] According to an article in Nature, in August of that year, the investigation began to produce documents which did not indicate that he had committed scientific misconduct, but did reveal that Monsanto paid for his travel.[4] Folta responded to this article by vehemently denying the article's claims that he had "close ties" to Monsanto.[7] In September 2015, the New York Times reported that Folta has received an undisclosed amount of money from Monsanto; the purpose of the grants is to help with "biotechnology outreach" and defending genetically modified food.[8] Folta told the Times that his university intends to donate the money to a food pantry and that “Nobody tells me what to say, and nobody tells me what to think."[8]
References
- ^ "Kevin M. Folta, PhD" (PDF). Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ "NIU alum has a taste for success". NIU Today. Northern Illinois University. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Kevin M. Folta". University of Florida. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ a b Kloor, Keith (6 August 2015). "GM-crop opponents expand probe into ties between scientists and industry". Nature. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ a b Levinovitz, Alan (23 February 2015). "Anti-GMO Activist Seeks to Expose Scientists' Emails With Big Ag". Wired. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ Hamblin, James (11 February 2015). "The Food Babe: Enemy of Chemicals". The Atlantic. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ Flaherty, Colleen (14 August 2015). "Casualty of GMO Wars". Inside Higher Education. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ a b Lipton, Eric (5 September 2015). "Food Industry Enlisted Academics in G.M.O. Lobbying War, Emails Show". New York Times. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
External links
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
| Warning | Local parameters are deprecated. |
