About

About the Author

One night while I was still a doctoral student, I had a dream about investigating an outbreak. I don’t remember the details, but I will never forget the excitement. More than forty years later, I am still amazed at how prophetic that dream turned out to be.

I have spent more than fifty years as a laboratorian and epidemiologist working at the local, state, and federal levels. Along the way I have had the privilege of meeting and working with some remarkable public health professionals—true heroes of the field. In these lessons I will occasionally share some of their stories and the lessons they taught me.

One reason I did not retire sooner is that I genuinely love this work. Epidemiology became part of my life, and stepping away from it was not easy. The idea for this project grew out of my experiences working with young people and teachers through programs such as Science Olympiad and the CDC Science Ambassador and Summer Camp programs. Their curiosity and enthusiasm convinced me that there is still much to pass on to the next generation.

Rather than focus on my degrees or career milestones, I would prefer to let the material on this site speak for itself. My goal is simply to share what I have learned about the practice of epidemiology and the fascinating problems that have shaped the field.

I hope some of you will follow in the footsteps of the shoe‑leather epidemiologists who built this field—and perhaps go on to break new ground of your own.