“Public health professionals are the ones who will save the human race—assuming they have the resources and authority to act as they know they must.”

Garrett Brown MPH ’91, CIH is a certified industrial hygienist who worked for Cal/OSHA for 20 years — 18 years as a field Compliance Safety and Health Officer and then two years as Special Assistant to the Chief of the Division before retiring in 2014. He has also been the volunteer coordinator of the Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network since 1993 and has coordinated projects in Bangladesh, Central America, China, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Mexico, and Vietnam.

On public health and the challenges we face

Public health professionals are the ones who will save the human race—assuming they have the resources and authority to act as they know they must.

Secrets for success

The key for me has been field work—one has to spend as much time as possible in the field gaining the experience and insights that make one useful and effective. Without that, we are not very useful to anyone.

“Berkeley moment”

Attending guest lectures from giants in the field of public health who have shown the rest of us what essential things can be done and how to approach them.