Frank Yiannas has devoted his career to protecting consumers from deadly bacteria and pathogens.

It’s a career that started in 1987 when the newly minted University of Central Florida grad took his BS in microbiology and began working on product safety in the private sector. It was a job that brought him into occasional contact with county health departments.

“That’s when I began to better understand the role of public health,” Yiannas said.

It was one of those health department colleagues who suggested Yiannas pursue an MPH degree and recommended the USF College of Public Health (COPH). Yiannas put the idea on the back burner for a few years while his career was taking off but finally decided to take the plunge, graduating the COPH in 2003 with an MPH degree.

“It was challenging obtaining a degree while also raising a family and working,” he said. “But it was such an important and right decision. Every day, I apply principles I learned at the COPH—principles from epidemiology, biostatistics and ethics. It’s been such a valuable degree for what I do.”

And Yiannas has done a lot.

He started out in public health shadowing a health inspector in Orange County and has since held a variety of high-profile public health jobs in both government and industry, creating a name for himself as a food-safety expert.

Yiannas recently retired from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he served as deputy commissioner for food policy and response. He was tasked with the development and execution of the agency’s food-safety policies and advised the FDA Commissioner on things such as food-safety outbreaks, trace-back investigations and product-recall activities. He’s also been director of safety and health at Disney and vice president of food safety and health at Walmart.

Speaking of his FDA job, Yiannas said what interested him most about the position was the opportunity it gave him to serve the nation.

“I loved the scope of the job and the ability to work with such a broad group of food-system stakeholders, including state and global regulators, representatives from the food and agriculture sectors, political leaders, consumer groups and academia,” he commented. Yiannas said one of his proudest achievements was serving on a White House Food Supply Chain Disruption Task Force during the pandemic, helping to ensure that consumers had access to the food they needed.

Today Yiannas, a pioneer in blockchain technology (a tamper-proof, digitized, decentralized database that allows for the traceability of food), heads Smarter FY Solutions, a consulting firm that advises companies on food safety and supply chain issues.

“My goal,” he said, “is to create a safer, smarter and more sustainable food system. I want to protect consumers from unsafe food and help them live healthy lives.”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I was convinced I’d be a shortstop for the New York Yankees.

Where would we find you on the weekends?

Hopefully at home with my family and not on a plane.

What is the last book you read?

“Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction,” by Thomas M. Siebel

What superpower would you like to have?

The ability to be transported over geographical boundaries and time.

What is your all-time favorite move?

“Gladiator.” I like the idea of having the courage to stand for your freedom and for what you believe in.

To view the awards ceremony, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health