U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition - December 2000
Jack Guzewich, MPH
Science and Our Food Supply - Careers
"Don't limit yourself to one aspect of science - explore them all!"

Jack Guzewich, RS, MPH
Career Title:
Sanitarian/Epidemiologist
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Washington, DC

Fields of Expertise
Epidemiology
Microbiology
Environmental Health

Academic Studies:
SUNY Cobleskill
Cobleskill, New York
Associate of Applied Science in Laboratory Technology

SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, New York
Bachelor of Science in Biology

University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Masters of Public Health

Employment History:
Dairy Farm Worker
(while in high school)

Camp Counselor
(while in high school and college)

Sanitarian
Glens Falls and Albany, New York

Chief of Food Protection
Albany, New York

"If I hadn't become a sanitarian, I would have become . . . a veterinarian or wildlife biologist."

 

Q: What do you do in your current job?
A: I develop and implement programs to coordinate responses to foodborne illness outbreaks and other emergencies. After I find out the cause of an outbreak, I take the necessary steps to understand the contamination and develop a plan or strategy for future prevention.

Q: What were your favorite and least favorite subjects in school?
A: My favorite subject was definitely biology, but I struggled with math. In high school, I was not a prized student.

Q: What do you like most about your career?
A: Every outbreak is a new mystery to solve - it's like being a detective. I also love knowing that I'm benefiting the public by helping to prevent outbreaks from occurring again. For instance, in the early and mid 1980s, Salmonella Enteritidis illness cases were increasing in the United States. I was involved in the discovery that the increase in Salmonella Enteritidis infections was associated with the consumption of shell eggs. Our work has led to many programs to prevent these illnesses.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in science?
A: Get a variety of experiences and see what you like best. Don't limit yourself to one aspect of science - explore them all!



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