|
LONE STAR PERSPECTIVE “IAFP journals
and the IAFP
Report provide
opportunities for
me to keep up
with the field" Change is something we deal with on a daily basis. And the older we get, the more we realize how little we control. In my youth, I remember thinking I was the master of my future, deciding what field I wanted to study for my career, determining where I wanted to live, etc. Like me, most of you probably invested a significant amount of time in college, and maybe graduate school, preparing to be employed in your chosen fields. I don’t know how many of you are still actually employed in a position you trained for in college, but I would be willing to bet that a good number of you are doing something different right now. Changes like these sneak up on us, reminding us of how little we really control in our lives, especially regarding employment. For example, I know many of
our members were employed in
positions that eventually evolved
to address food safety issues. For
a large group of us, this change
occurred after a major event, like
the hemorrhagic Escherichia coli
outbreak in 1993. Such significant
events always inspire a refocusing
of priorities for the food industry,
regulatory agencies and academia,
which usually necessitates new jobs
and responsibilities. The recent
outbreak associated with spinach
probably catalyzed similar changes. If
you have been moved into a position
with new food safety responsibilities,
the first thing you have to do is get
up to speed with the science and
the issues. IAFP provides a great
service to our members in this
situation: Our journals are on the
cutting edge of current science, The
IAFP Report provides a continual
and reliable monthly update on
new and changing events, and the
Annual Meeting provides a unique
opportunity to hear from and visit
with the people who are on the front
line of food safety, dealing directly
with current issues. Because we
have such an evolving membership,
our new membership dues are
perfectly structured for people who
are new to food safety, allowing them
to select from a buffet of services.
These new options allow members
the ability to either stay up-to-date
with current issues or completely
immerse themselves in the field.
Without negating any benefits to
long-term members of the field of
food safety, IAFP provides a perfect
setting for integration of newcomers.
However, we current members have
to make sure our newer colleagues
know IAFP exists. On the other hand, there are likely several members of IAFP in my situation. I transferred into a position that, despite its significant food safety component, does not incorporate food safety as my primary job responsibility, and my focus has necessarily shifted away from my area of expertise. I now hold an administrative position for a large animal science department containing a group of food microbiologists. While I would love to spend all of my time working with the food micro group, I have many other responsibilities and simply cannot give as much time to food safety as I would like. I love my job, but I can feel myself being pulled away from food safety, slowly but surely, and I sense that I am losing touch with many important issues and events. IAFP journals and the IAFP Report provide opportunities for me to keep up with the field. I am able to spend as much or as little time as needed to maintain a connection with food safety and stay in touch with major issues. However, I have found that one of my major sources of help is our Annual Meeting. What an exciting four days we just spent in Orlando! Hearing all the symposia, visiting with poster presenters and just seeing old food safety friends for a few days reinvigorated all the momentum and excitement that A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Attendees for Making IAFP 2007 a Smashing Success! had begun to slip away. The Annual Meeting is my anchor in the food safety field. As long as I am a member of the Association, read the journals and keep attending the Annual Meeting, I know I can always return to my first choice in employment when I grow weary of university administration (or when the Dean gets tired of me—whichever comes first!). Are you on the front line of food safety issues? Are you new to the field and wondering how you will ever get up to speed? Or are you someone whose job responsibilities have pulled them away from food safety but don’t want to lose touch? Our new membership dues structure is designed to help serve the wide variety of needs in the field of food safety, of which I am sure I have only touched the “tip of the iceberg.” Advancing food safety worldwide takes all types of people in many different roles and levels of responsibility. The beauty of our association is that we are now equipped to serve all those individuals, but we still need your help. I believe there are many people out there who could benefit from the services IAFP provides, but they are unaware we exist. We need to make sure our colleagues know that we are here to help. Anyone with food safety responsibilities could benefit from membership in IAFP. Plus, the new, less expensive dues structure makes it even easier for us to recommend membership, and we all know that once someone signs up, they will be hooked! I would love to hear from you regarding how IAFP serves your needs or how we might provide better service. As always, you can contact me anytime at gacuff@ tamu.edu.
|