From the UGA College of Public Health to the MasterChef kitchen, Adam Head proves the versatility of a public health education
For Adam Head, Athens has always been—and always will be—home. Born and raised in the Classic City, Head attended the University of Georgia, graduating from the College of Public Health in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion. And now, alongside his brother, Joel—also a UGA grad—he represented his stomping grounds on national television.
“It’s been an extremely surreal experience,” said Head. “There’s a lot of leadup and then the next thing you know about six days later you’re standing in front of Gordon Ramsay and Joe and Tiffany and it’s, ‘three, two, one, go.’”
The Head brothers were contestants on Season 15 of MasterChef: Dynamic Duos, facing off in cooking battles against other home cooks from across the country. And while the T.V. production set might have been a new experience, cooking wasn’t. Adam says he and his brother grew up surrounded by good food and family—always in the kitchen.
“My parents and my extended family, that’s where we all gathered,” said Head. “The kitchen is also a creative aspect for me. It allows me to take a look and see what ingredients I have and what I can make with them. And then there are a lot of times where it’s very just therapeutic and a stress relief—kind of a zen moment where you get to just kind of tune everything out and focus on exactly what you’re doing and be present.”
And even though food will always be a creative outlet for Head, it’s not what he does full-time. Head utilizes his public health experience and education as a safety consultant for the construction industry. He travels all over the country helping general contractors ensure that they’re in compliance with OSHA and that their safety and health programs are running efficiently.
While construction site safety and dishing up delicious food might seem worlds apart—for Head, it all ties back to public health.
“One of the things that I love about my degree is that it did not pigeonhole me into one specific area. I had a broad education in health and especially being able to translate health concepts and health topics to a wide audience, which is what I do on a construction site,” said Head.
He also translates those health concepts when he’s brainstorming his next culinary creation.
“I get asked a lot of times, ‘What do you do with your degree in public health?’ And from the kitchen standpoint, having a lot of those classes and that background allows you to look at what you’re actually putting on your plate and then putting into your body,” Head said. “You can be very preventative in how you eat and how you cook, and it doesn’t have to taste awful.”
Head serves as a prime example that an education in public health enables you to traverse a variety of different options in the career world. So, what advice does he have for the next generation of public health professionals—the students at the College of Public Health?
“I would say absorb as much as you can,” said Head. “The professors are wonderful. They want you to do well. They want to help you figure out what you’re going to do with your life. So, listen to what they have to say. Ask lots of question. And have fun.”
By Mackenzie Patterson
