KANSAS CITY — Mary L. Bandu, PhD, has joined the technical team at Great Plains Analytical Lab as director of microbiology.

Dr. Bandu has more than 17 years of industry experience in clinical and food microbiology. Prior to joining Great Plains she was senior manager of manufacturing science at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Earlier, she was director of technical services at Chestnut Labs and a principal scientist at Food Safety Net Services. She also was an adjunct professor at Johnson County Community College.

She is an FSPCA Human Food and Animal Feed Qualified Individual as well as an animal feed lead instructor.

She received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Houston and a doctorate degree in bioanalytical chemistry from the University of Kansas. In addition, she has authored numerous publications relevant to her research in mass spectrometry and received the Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship for outstanding female graduate student and was a Procter & Gamble Fellowship Recipient.

“Mary is a highly respected professional, who will be a great addition to our outstanding staff,” said John Waldron, president and chief executive officer of Great Plains. “Mary has many years of experience in the food lab testing business and will further strengthen our position in the microbiology area.”