CDC Job Takes Sara Zeigler, '97, to Remote Corners of the World

Sara Zeigler, ‘97, isn’t afraid of a challenge – or of an adventure. So when her job with the Centers for Disease Control took her to Barrow, Alaska, during December a few years ago when the temperature was 60 below and sunlight nonexistent, she was a little surprised that she wasn’t allowed to walk anywhere by herself.

She wasn’t used to weather that cold and wouldn’t survive the elements if she got lost. And besides, she was told, there were polar bears.

When Zeigler took a job with the CDC five years ago, she knew she would be on the front lines of protecting the public’s health. No one told her the front lines would be places in Alaska like Barrow and Hopper Bay, a Yupik village on the Bearing Sea with no running water – or that the front lines would be guarded by polar bears.

But that’s fine with her. She’s just glad she could help. During her time in Alaska, Zeigler provided technical assistance to cancer programs that serve Alaska Natives among other projects.

“It was an incredible learning experience for me to work with others to deliver important health information and services in a manner which is respectful of the traditions of Alaska Natives. For instance, a program developed a dietary guide for cancer patients that includes traditional foods,” Zeigler said of her travels.

Not all of her work takes place in remote areas of the world, though. Most of it takes place in her office in Atlanta.

                                

                                  Sara Zeigler, her husband Phil Amon and her son Joshua Zeigler-Amon

As a program consultant in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Zeigler works to make sure programs know how to build and retain partnerships, work with different advocates in the community and ensure satisfactory patient services.

She also makes sure people have access to the latest research. “We make sure people have access to information that has been proven and agreed on by experts in the field,” Zeigler said. “A critical role CDC plays in serving the public is to translate the science into practical information that makes sense to everyone.”

Although Zeigler said she has always had a strong commitment to public service, she knew little about the public health field when she started her job. During her first year at the CDC, she worked with communications and policy initiatives related to bioterrorism, surveillance and public health performance standards before moving on to her current position.

Since her time at Jepson, Zeigler has completed a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and become a member of L.E.A.D. Atlanta, a leadership program for professionals between the ages of 25 and 32 that connects and educates young people in their professional lives and in community service work.

“Leadership is all about building relationships. Without taking the time to invest in key professional relationships, it is almost impossible to advance an individual’s agenda,” Zeigler said. “And for someone who really believes in community work, L.E.A.D. is a great opportunity and a chance for me to really get invested in the metro Atlanta community.”

Zeigler is also investing her time in something else these days – her new family. She married Phil Amon in 2002 and recently gave birth to a son, Joshua Zeigler-Amon – her next great challenge and adventure.