Originally from Orlando, Fla., USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumna Samantha Thacker moved to Tampa, Fla., to pursue her dual undergraduate degrees in public health and health sciences in 2012.

“I was interested in public health after I heard how it focuses on health prevention rather than fixing health problems after they have already occurred,” she said. “I loved the idea of helping the population as a whole preserve their health instead of helping treat individual health problems.”

After earning her undergraduate degrees, Thacker spent a year working as a FedEx courier, delivering packages. It was a job that helped her realize all of the occupational hazards associated with the industry and ultimately piqued her interest in safety within a corporate environment.

In 2017, she decided to attend USF again to earn her MPH in occupational exposure science.

“My time spent in my undergrad and grad programs at the COPH were some of my favorite times in school,” she said. “The programs were comprehensive and really pushed us to see how what we were learning can translate into life outside of school.”

She said the faculty at the COPH also inspired her.

“The entire college was focused on helping students be passionate and proactive. The faculty helped us see all the good that can come from working in this field,” she said.

Thacker currently works as a safety engineer in a large Nissan vehicle manufacturing plant in Tennessee. She oversees a portion of the plant, investigating injuries, identifying hazards and working with different teams to create a safer work environment.

“I was attracted to my current role because of the fast pace and diverse operations within vehicle manufacturing,” she said. “There are so many different aspects of safety to learn and a large population of people to help in my role. It’s really cool!”

One of the most important things Thacker said she learned during her time in the COPH was to look for evidence-based solutions to problems and create realistic solutions that can be effective in practice.

“Being able to recognize what you don’t know and being confident in your knowledge is another invaluable skill I learned from the COPH,” she said. “I am never afraid to say when I am not sure and need to check on something. It is much easier to get back to people with correct information than it is to walk back incorrect information.”

Thacker said she eventually wants to find herself back in Tampa to be closer to family when the right safety opportunity presents itself.

“For now, I am focusing on learning all I can about the different processes and safety aspects within manufacturing at this large a scale,” she said.

COPH Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

 A doctor

Where would we find you on the weekend?

 Ideally, at a beach

What is the last book you read?

“Stay Close,” by Harlan Coben

What superpower would you like to have?

Teleportation—never commuting anywhere again!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

Harry Potter!  Any and all of them!

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health