U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition - December 2000
Roberta M. Hammond, Ph.D.
Science and Our Food Supply - Careers
"In this field, you have to be a good talker and a good listener, and you have to like it!"

Roberta M. Hammond, Ph.D.
Career Title:
Biological Administrator II
Florida Department of Health
Tallahassee, Florida

Fields of Expertise
Food and Waterborne Disease Epidemiology
Environmental Health
Anthropology

Academic Studies
Florida Keys Community College
Key West, Florida
Associate of Arts in Biology

Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Anthropology

Employment History
Babysitter
(while in high school)

Dishwasher
(while in college)

Food Harvesting, Production, Processing, and Serving Worker
(various positions held in the state of Florida)

Environmental Specialist
Franklin County Health Department
Apalachicola, Florida

"If I hadn't become a scientist, I would have become . . . a professor of French, anthropology professor, weaver, beader, or potter."

 

Q: What do you do in your current job?
A: I coordinate food and waterborne disease surveillance and investigations for the State of Florida. I work with nine field investigators, providing them and county health departments with information, training, and technical assistance. During foodborne outbreaks, my role is to provide information to all who need it (e.g. agency managers, other states, federal agencies, and the public). Good mediation and diplomatic skills are helpful in this field. Also, you have to be both a good talker and a good listener, and you have to like it!

Q: What were your favorite subjects in school?
A: In school, I enjoyed math because I was really good at it. In college, my favorite course was paleopathology (the study of prehistoric diseases). I liked being able to look at skeletons and tell what diseases that person had during their lifetime.

Q: Have you been involved in any new scientific discoveries during your career?
A: Yes, our state was the first to have an outbreak of Salmonellosis linked to fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in science?
A: Don't be too narrow - it's easy to put on blinders and close your mind to other fields or disciplines that might be useful to you. Take at least one foreign language, preferably two. Also, some of your best experience comes from learning on the job, so don't be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up. Learning your basic skills well, such as writing, math, and science, along with creative problem solving, will take you a long way in building your career of choice.



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