Student Spotlight: Vicky Udomvaranon

Despite earning an industrial hygiene degree in her home country of Thailand, Vicky Udomvaranon had never worked in health and safety—that is until six years later when she found herself stepping into the role of health, safety and environment specialist for her company. 

Udomvaranon was hesitant to take on her new responsibilities. “Even though I had an education in this field, my knowledge was not up to date and health and safety regulations in Thailand are widely different from CalOSHA,” she said. Her research for health and safety training courses led her to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program. “After attending the info session, I knew right away that this program would provide the knowledge I needed to succeed in my new role.”

“I highly recommend the Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program because it prepares you for a career in the health and safety industry.”

Learning from the Experts

Udomvaranon’s biggest challenge as she began her new position was her lack of real-world experience. “Knowing that I would learn from instructors who are experts in the industry and classmates who have worked in the field gave me confidence,” she said. “All the instructors are currently working in the field they teach about, so content is not just academic but applicable in real life.”

Aside from receiving real-world training, Udomvaranon also appreciated the passion and dedication the instructors brought to the program and their commitment to helping students apply what they learned. “Everything was very hands-on and the instructors did a good job of covering tough concepts and were open to helping each student, especially when we brought up specific questions related to our workplace.” 

Building a Network

Udomvaranon credits the program with not only helping her acquire new skills, but also with expanding her professional network. She says students exchanged contact information and were encouraged by the instructors to reach out to them if they had any questions or needed advice. “This kind of networking is priceless!” 

Looking Ahead

Prior to completing the Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program, Udomvaranon accepted a new position as a facilities coordinator at a large tech company in San Francisco. Even though her new role focused more on facilities management rather than health and safety, she was determined to complete the certificate. “Health and safety are part of everything we do, no matter your role,” she said. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to create and maintain a safe work environment.” Udomvaranon plans to continue collaborating with her company’s safety team and apply what she learned in the program to ensure a safe work environment for her team and all employees on site.