Name:  Lane Hacker

Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Major and Graduation Date: Microbiology with Food Safety Minor - Fall 2018

Favorite Class: AN S 270/L: Foods of Animal Origin

Job Title and Employer: QA Specialist for Distribution, Saputo Dairy USA

Major Job & Position Responsibilities:  Monitor and maintain logs of hold product at distribution facilities nationwide, investigate transportation incidents and evaluate product involved for food safety and quality concerns,  Ensure distribution facility compliance with internal, regulatory, and third-party QA standards by participating in audits and providing training. 

What do I like most about my job?  What I enjoy most about my position is the problem-solving aspect.  All of my responsibilities involve some amount of piecing together information, coupled with application of food safety principles and company guidelines, to make critical decisions that protect consumers.  Knowing that I am doing my part to keep the world’s food supply safe is what drives my passion.

What advice would I give current students pursuing a career in Agriculture and Life Sciences?  CALS is arguably the most opportunity-rich college on campus.  There are so many paths to explore, and my advice is to do just that - explore, and take advantage of internships.  My career path took some turns from what I initially expected as an incoming student. That’s because I followed what interested me and embraced opportunities as they arose, even if they were outside of my comfort zone.