Thanks to his dedication and hard work, Craig A. Garmendia is being recognized as Stempel College's Fall 2018 Worlds Ahead Graduate by FIU during the commencement ceremony on Dec. 12, 2018.
Here is his story:
While working for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Craig used his background in chemistry, with a bachelor’s from FIU and masters’ from Vanderbilt University, to investigate drug manufacturing in the U.S. When the economy shifted, so did Craig’s career path, as much of the drug manufacturing industry moved overseas.
Still at the FDA, Craig began investigating clinical research, seeing new medical products go to market through FDA’s approval process. It was then that the methodology of ensuring medical products are both safe and effective caught Craig’s interest and he decided to pursue his Ph.D. in Public Health with a specialization in epidemiology.
As a full-time employee and full-time student, Craig kept busy. His job transitioned from inspecting Miami-based clinical trials to a position that included extensive travel to inspect clinical research around the world, including such far off places as India, Australia, and Japan. He also found the time to complete the half IRONMAN Hawaii and the full IRONMAN France.
Graduating with a 3.96 GPA, Craig’s doctoral dissertation helped bring him accolades and prestigious journal publications. As part of his role at the FDA, Craig presented a study he conducted at Stempel College on research misconduct by clinical investigators. This presentation received an award from the FDA Commissioner. With two journal publications already under his belt, Craig expects the American Medical Association’s JAMA Internal Medicine journal to publish a research letter on the effects of falsified data on meta-analysis, a key part of his dissertation.
Upon graduating, Craig will remain at the FDA. He has just accepted a new position as a dedicated foreign investigator, where he will continue to see the world and work exclusively on clinical research conducted outside of the U.S. As he and his husband, Robert, make plans to celebrate their third wedding anniversary, they are also in the process of adopting children.
Congratulations, Craig!