A simple question launched University of Georgia alumna Takiyah Ball’s path to food safety. Today, Ball is a food safety microbiologist at Sargento Foods – a $1.7 billion family-owned cheese company based in Wisconsin, but she began her journey in food safety after a friend who was earning a master’s degree in microbiology explained that studying microbiology offered a variety of career paths. “Learning about microbes, you can pretty much do anything: research, clinical, whatever you like,” Ball said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was hiring students and Ball’s friend suggested she apply. Before that suggestion, Ball never considered a career in research and lab work. “I had never been exposed to lab work outside of the courses I took at UGA,” she said. “I did apply for the position at the USDA and actually fell in love with research and lab work.”
Her passion for research led her to the role of food safety microbiologist at Sargento in 2019.
“Sargento was looking for someone at an advanced level to analyze microbial research related to production facilities and any effects they may have on the product. The role here has been very rewarding because I’m able to meet new people across the company while being able to uphold the company’s high standards in food safety and quality.”
Ball has an accomplished academic career. In addition to her UGA degrees, she earned a master’s degree in public health from Emory University. She also was selected as a Dr. James A. Ferguson Fellow at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, where she studied emerging diseases with the Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons.
During her time at Kennedy Krieger Institute, she decided to pursue her doctorate at North Carolina State University, after which she became an ORISE Fellow with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment. That position led to current role.
At Sargento, Ball said she can both explore her passion for research and her interest in mentorship and outreach.
“I’m a mentor for UGA, for the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP), and I also have done some mentorship through the American Society for Microbiology,” Ball said. “I’m truly passionate about helping the next generation of food safety professionals to see the value of our field or simply helping young people to succeed in their careers. Many students are early in their careers and about to graduate and they need someone to give them advice on resumes, how to apply for jobs and how to interview.”
Ball’s dedication to a lifetime of academics, professionalism and mentorship is motivated by her young son.
“If I set the example for my son, and he sees me being curious and adventurous, then maybe he’ll follow in my footsteps,” she said.