Alumni Spotlight: John McQuiston (MS '92)

John R. McQuiston (MS '92)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

John McQuiston currently lives in Atlanta, GA, and works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a team lead in the Special Bacteriology Reference Laboratory.

How VA-MD equipped me for the 'real world'...

VA-MD, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases (CMMID) trained me probably better than any other school on how to independently troubleshoot problems in research and science. The faculty for my M.S. at VA-MD helped me to become a critical scientist that I would use for the rest of my career.

Best part of being a VMCVM alum...

The network of great people that I met and still am in contact with today, decades later.

Best advice I've gotten....

From Dr. Nammalwar Sriranganathan, to learn patience is one of the most important life lessons.

How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline...

Building global partnerships for identifying rare and unusual diseases in real time.

My hidden talent...

Photography

A person who has inspired me...

Dr. Nammalwar Sriranganathan

What did you learn at the college that you never thought you would benefit from?

How to speak in public and give presentations! We had to give a presentation at either lab meetings or at the college science days or wherever, probably once a month. Now I give presentations on a global scale that I would have never expected I would have been able to do without that experience.

Biggest misconception about my job or industry...

That disease research is like in the movies or TV series or that exciting things happen every day in research labs. Research is slow, repetitive and boring most of the time. Having patience for when it finally all comes together is the key, and that can take years.

Words of encouragement to a current veterinary college student...

Enjoy your time there and be broad in your experiences. Gain as many diverse experiences from as many people as possible. Don't be focused on the thing you think you want to do because it may not be what you end up doing in your life. Follow your gut and you'll be OK.

Fondest college memory or tradition...

Tubing on the New River! I miss that time so much.

A cause I'm most passionate about... The most formative experience I've had...

Saving the coral reefs and marine environments.

Top of my bucket list...

Scuba Dive at the Great Barrier Reef.

My favorite quote...

"I'll tell you one thing about the universe, though. The universe is a pretty big place. It's bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamed of before. So if it's just us... seems like an awful waste of space."

-Ellie Arroway - Contact

Being a VMCVM alumnus means...

You know what hard work is and you're not afraid to do it.

Anything else to add?

Relish living in Blacksburg while you are there. There aren't a whole lot of places like that in this country.

Oh, and Dec. 21st is the darkest day of the year.