Lam Recognized for Excellence in Service

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Lee has recognized Chris Lam, Ph.D., of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture with the Governor’s Excellence in Service Award.

Lam is among 23 state employees who were selected by their department’s leadership to receive a Governor’s Excellence in Service Award. The honorees are transforming the way state government delivers services and providing Tennessee taxpayers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost.

“Dr. Lam excels at performing laboratory functions as well as interpreting chemical analysis for colleagues who serve the public,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “His work is often behind the scenes, conducting technical analyses and eliminating unnecessary testing that improve turnaround times and provide cost savings that benefit the state’s taxpayers. He’s also heavily invested in his own professional development and the training of his employees.”

Lam is recognized nationally as an expert in environmental and chemical monitoring and last year, served as a speaker on effective communication strategies for lab results at the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program meeting in Colorado.

“To be acknowledged for work I enjoy brings a sense of fulfillment,” Lam said. “It’s rewarding anytime I can share about science and how it’s connected to human food, animal feed, pesticides, and plants. Beyond the laboratory and regulatory work, I strive to equip those around me and look for ways to collaborate for continuous improvement.”

Lam began his career with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 2010 as the supervisor of the Food Residue section. His responsibilities included testing food and beverages for antibiotics, mycotoxins, and other toxic chemicals. He later transferred to the Environmental Monitoring section, where he analyzed water, plant, and soil samples for pesticides.

Currently, Lam is the Agricultural Scientist Manager for the Feed and Fertilizer, Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Hemp, and Environmental Monitoring sections within the Technical Services Division.

Prior to his service at TDA, Lam was a Senior Research Scientist at Bayer Crop Science for 13 years. He was born in Hong Kong and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hong Kong Baptist University. He came to the U.S. for graduate school and earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In his spare time, Lam enjoys reading, jogging, and traveling.