Microbiology alumnae finds career in food safety
UArizona alumnae, Kami Weddle, is the director of food safety and quality at Rousseau Farming Company in Phoenix. For the past 15 years she has implemented and maintained the safety and quality programs for the 9,000 acre produce farm. She has also managed the air quality program, risk management and workplace safety, and health programs. About her position, Kami says, “I enjoy the collaboration that takes place between food safety professionals across different organizations to enhance the safety of our products. There is promising research being conducted right now and it’s our responsibility as food safety professionals to implement new guidance’s based on that research that are practical and feasible for our growers to use.”
Kami graduated from the UArizona with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry in 2004. She then went on to receive her MBA from the University of East Anglia. She is an Arizona native, having grown up on a family farm in Yuma. She was heavily involved in 4-H, FFA, and Student Council. She credits all three organizations with shaping her into who she is today by developing her skills in leadership and communication. A career in food safety was not originally on Kami’s radar however the UArizona helped provide her with the necessary tools to lead her on to this career path.
Kami was very strategic in her decision to major in microbiology. She knew she was interested in the sciences, but it was important to her to be able to stay connected with agriculture. Having the microbiology program housed in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences (CALES), rather than the larger College of Science, gave her the connection with agriculture she wanted. Another draw for Kami was the CALES ambassador program. When entering CALES, she appreciated the unique contribution the ambassador’s brought to the college and wanted to be a part of this dynamic group of young leaders.
One important aspect of college that Kami would like to emphasize to current and incoming students is, “The larger value for students in college is not the actual courses you are taking (although it is important) the larger value for me was connecting with alumni, industry members, experts, extension agents, etc. at events and learning from their experiences. Networking with those members is extremely important for your future career and the direction your career takes. Those connections I made back in 2000-04 are connections I still relay on today.”
Kami stays engaged in the agriculture and food safety industries by serving on the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Citrus, Fruit & Vegetable Committee, the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Committee, and the American Farm Bureau Food Safety Advisory Committee. She also takes full advantage of the active research arm in produce food safety at the UArizona by attending trainings and getting the opportunity to see research applied into practice which assists her in staying current on food safety practices as guidance evolves and changes.
When asked what stands out for her about her time at the UArizona Kami says, “A feeling of connectedness – anytime I’m back on campus I have a sense of pride in my college years, and I know I made the right choice in attending the UArizona. I always feel welcomed back, and all the memories of those four years rush back in when I come onto campus. I met some of my best friends I have in college, and we always make time to meet back up on campus when we can.”