Beth Wittry

Experience

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  UC Berkeley ESPM Department

  Jan 2006 - May 2006

  Research assistant

  •Various data collecting and recording of laboratory results, insect colony maintenance, experiment design and set-up, and monitoring conditions.

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  UC Berkeley Graduate School of Public Health

  Sept 2007 - May 2008

  Research assistant

  •Assisted post-doctoral student with a nutrition project involving research on intervention methods for middle school students’ nutrition and behavior.•Collected ethnographic field notes, transcribed research interviews, participated in data analysis, and conducted relevant literature reviews.

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  VIIDAI Program

  Jan 2009 - May 2010

  Graduate student researcher

  •Spring 2010: Assisted with public health intervention concerning education of transmission and disease from ticks. Acted in a leadership role to provide guidance to health promotion research groups for their household survey intervention projects.•Spring 2009: Contributed in a public health intervention concerning water quality and sanitation issues. Conducted home visits, provided waterborne parasite transmission education, and performed water use surveys.

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  Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)

  May 2009 - Aug 2009

  Applied Biologist

  •Developed educational pamphlets concerning vectors and vector-borne disease on installations•Worked as lead technician for Ant Project to protect California Least Terns•Assisted with Integrated Pest Management Plans for Marine Corp Reserve Centers•Assisted with environmental compliance issues on installations•Analyzed environmental data using Microsoft Office products.

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  San Diego State University Research Foundation

  Aug 2010 - Nov 2010

  Graduate Researcher

  •Extraction of environmental samples; analysis of environmental contaminants using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry instruments; and statistical analysis of environmental data

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  Indian Health Service

  Dec 2010 - Dec 2013

  Environmental Health Officer

  •Provided a breadth of technical and consultation services (facility hazard assessments, policy development, investigations, and trainings). The diverse technical scope included: food sanitation, vector control, water quality, waste management, air quality, infection control, and occupational safety. •Provided public health expertise in the prevention of both unintentional injury (i.e., motor vehicle crashes, falls) and intentional injury (i.e., suicide, assaults). Conducted epidemiological investigations, trainings, partnership building, and assisted with the development of proven intervention strategies to reduce the risk of death and disability due to injuries.•Provided technical support to community institutions consulting on fire safety, hazardous materials, security and safety program management. Show less

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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Dec 2013 - now

  • Leadership & Strategic Direction: Serve as CDC’s subject matter expert (SME) on food safety and environmental health (EH), advising federal, state, territorial, local, tribal (STLT), and international partners. Lead national initiatives to translate scientific research into actionable strategies that improve public health outcomes.• Program Oversight & Impact: Direct research with the Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), a cooperative agreement with 8 health departments and 3 federal agencies, to identify and address EH gaps in retail food safety. Influence national policies and best practices through research-driven insights.• Surveillance & Outbreak Leadership: Oversee environmental surveillance for foodborne outbreaks across 70+ jurisdictions through the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS). Lead outreach and engagement initiatives to enhance reporting, improve investigation protocols, and shape effective prevention strategies.• National Advocacy & Policy Leadership: Drive national EH initiatives by promoting findings from EHS-Net and NEARS through publications, webinars, and training. Recommend evidence-based interventions to prevent outbreaks and inform the development of national EH policies and strategies.• Emergency & Disaster Response Leadership: Lead the Natural Disasters Environmental Health Taskforce, developing and implementing strategies to mitigate public health risks in disaster-affected communities. Strengthen EH program capacity at STLT levels and provide leadership in emergency preparedness and response. Show less

  • Environmental Health Scientist (Food Safety Subject Matter Expert)

    Nov 2023 - now

  • Environmental Health Specialist

    Dec 2017 - Nov 2023

  • Environmental Health Specialist

    Dec 2013 - Dec 2017
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  Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

  Mar 2023 - Aug 2023

  Western Section Team Lead (Detail)

  • Team Leadership & Oversight: Led a team in conducting public health assessments at Superfund and hazardous waste sites across HHS Regions 7, 8, 9, and 10, evaluating exposure risks and potential health impacts at 10 sites.• Performance Improvement & Team Development: Assessed team strengths and areas for improvement, providing leadership in exploring alternatives and implementing enhancements. Effectively managed workload distribution, aligning tasks with team members' expertise and skill sets.• Environmental Public Health Expertise: Provided expert guidance on environmental public health matters, reviewing and clearing scientific products from an oversight perspective to ensure alignment with public health standards. Show less