Meet Environmental Health Professionals

Erin Brown
FOOD BORNE ILLNESS COORDINATOR FOR FOOD AND SAFETY PROGRAM
PLACE OF WORK: PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

1. Why did you choose to pursue a career in environmental health?
I liked the variety of opportunities available and what it offered for career choices. Also, the mix of science, math, and social science in conjunction with working in and for the environment is very unique to this field. I wanted a career that offered opportunities to work in the community and outside the office.

2. Why do you continue to work in the environmental health field?
I feel like my work is important and I love the number of options open to me for career paths.

3. What advice would you give students considering enrolling in an accredited environmental health program?
When you are deciding on a career, don’t just think about the classes you will have to take, consider what it is you would like to do with the rest of your life. For me, working in the community was very important. You have to decide what is a priority for you.

4. What characteristic do you think would make someone successful in the environmental health field?
A successful person in the environmental health field is adaptable and always interested and curious. In this career every day brings something new.

5. What do you do? Can you describe your main duties? In other words, what makes your job interesting, unique or important?
The most unique aspect to my job is that every day brings a new challenge and this always keeps my career interesting. As the Food Borne Illness Coordinator I investigate food borne illness outbreaks to try and discover the cause and then help the community to avoid future occurrences.

6. Where did you graduate from?
I graduated from Ohio University.

7. How does this career influence environmental health?
My job is to investigate these illnesses and discover the underlying causes. In this way I protect the public in the places they eat. My job makes the community a safe place to eat in.

8. What would you tell students considering this career path?
If you are interested in pursuing a career in public health I would highly recommend earning a degree in environmental health from an accredited program. The background knowledge is very helpful in becoming a certified public health official.

9. What would the world be like without people like you doing your particular job?
Without public health officials the world would be a scary place. It would be impossible to eat at a restaurant without wondering about the sanitation standards and what contagions you could be coming into contact with.

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