Schwan receives UGA Early Career Scholar Award for exceptional research

Carla L. Schwan, assistant professor and UGA Extension food safety specialist, received the Charles B. Knapp Early Career Scholar Award from the UGA Research Foundation.

This award recognizes junior faculty whose research, creative and scholarly achievements indicate a trajectory toward an exceptional, sustained research career and an imminent rise to international stature in their field of study.

Schwan is an emerging leader in food safety research whose work addresses imminent public health risks at the intersection of microbiology and consumer practice. Her research focuses on microbial food safety, antimicrobial resistance and the validation of home food preservation methods, including fermentation, freeze-drying and canning — areas where misinformation can carry significant health consequences.

Since joining UGA in 2022, Schwan has authored 16 peer-reviewed journal articles, many as lead or senior author, in leading food safety journals. She has secured more than $1 million in competitive funding as principal or co-principal investigator from USDA-NIFA, the Extension Foundation and industry partners.

Schwan’s work directly informs national food safety guidance and has achieved exceptional reach through her leadership of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, positioning her as a nationally visible scholar at an early career stage.