Denise Rennie
School of Science, Engineering and Environment
Peel Building Room G27
Please email for an appointment.
Current positions
Associate Dean Academic; Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences
Biography
I was appointed as a Lecturer in Environmental Sciences at Salford in 1983, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1995; then serving as Head of the Department of Environmental Management from 1995 until 1999 and Head of the School of Environment and Life Sciences between 1999 and 2003.
I was then seconded as a Consultant to the Food Standards Agency (2003-05). Other external activities have included quality and audit of HE provision as a HEFCE QAA Subject Specialist Reviewer (other subjects allied to medicine) (1998-2000); and national and international development of Environmental Health education as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Task Group on Routes to Qualification and Core Curriculum Review (2002-2003) and Vice-chair International Faculty Forum for Environmental Health Education (1998-2000).
I teach both UG and PG modules addressing the inter-relationships between food and health: e.g. food safety, diet and health, public health intervention. I believe in the importance of students participating actively in learning and have developed consultancy modules where students work in groups to deliver projects for external clients and self assessment tools for student application both in university and during work placements.
My research interests include health education and promotion through training and environmental management interventions with particular application to food industry and enforcement agency staff.
Between 2002 and 2005 I was a member of a team funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that developed ‘Safer food better business’ as an alternative model for the implementation of food safety management systems based on HACCP principles in small and micro catering businesses. During this period I was seconded part time to FSA to work with HACCP Branch staff on the dissemination and promotion of ‘Safer food better business’ with Local Authority Environmental Health Departments. I was also involved in adapting the model for use by other food business sectors in collaboration with HCIMA and the University of Strathclyde.
Qualifications
- BSc (1st class) Environmental Health (Strathclyde) 1980
- MSc (by research) Faculty of Medicine (Victoria University of Manchester) 1993
Memberships
- Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (1983)
- Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner (2005