Justyce Jedlicka is the North America food and beverage regulatory liaison at MilliporeSigma

Hometown: St. Louis

Major: BS in Chemistry, 2009; MBA, 2018

Current Position: North America food and beverage regulatory liaison at MilliporeSigma

Fun Fact: Jedlicka also serves as the chair and executive board member of the food science section of American Council of Independent Labs.

Justyce Jedlicka has been mixing it up long before studying for her bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Properties of colorful liquids around her home, like shampoo and mouthwash, fascinated the budding child scientist.

“I was always getting in trouble for making concoctions in the kitchen,” Jedlicka recalls, laughing.

Jedlicka’s interest in chemistry grew, eventually culminating in a degree from UMSL. The program taught her what chemists actually do, but most importantly, it made her realize there were opportunities in chemistry beyond the laboratory. At student STEM conferences, amidst the whirl of conversation and discovery, Jedlicka realized she wasn’t going to be in the lab forever.

“I found I was most excited talking about what we were studying,” Jedlicka says. “I realized I had a different role to play in the world.”

After graduation, Jedlicka joined MilliporeSigma, at first in the lab. Thanks to advice from a mentor at the company, she decided to pursue an MBA at UMSL to differentiate herself professionally and gain skills in marketing and communication.

“Within six months,” Jedlicka says, “it opened doors for me.”

Jedlicka transitioned from the lab to supporting commercial applications for non-pharma regulated markets. In this role, she communicates with stakeholders, regulators and customers to solve challenges in the world of food safety.

In 2022, when the little-studied but deadly bacteria Cronobacter contaminated infant and toddler formula across the nation, Jedlicka quickly found herself implementing an interdisciplinary blend of scientific expertise and business acumen to examine, publicize and communicate the risks of Cronobacter.

Jedlicka’s efforts – among countless others, she is quick to note – ultimately led to the classification of a Cronobacter infection as a reportable disease, meaning that health providers are legally required to report cases. That’s critical for detecting, monitoring and controlling any outbreaks.

Jedlicka finds her work on Cronobacter to be the most rewarding and impactful experience she’s had so far. She hopes to continue her work facilitating food safety and tackling complex issues at the intersection of science, business and public health.

“If we’re not protecting our most vulnerable,” Jedlicka says, “then what is worth fighting for?”

This story was originally published in the spring 2024 issue of UMSL Magazine. If you have a story idea for UMSL Magazine, email magazine@umsl.edu.