I Am CDC - Alissa Eckert

About

I started at CDC in 2006, right out of graduate school. I work as a medical illustrator in the Division of Communication Services. As a biomedical artist in school, I was focused on impacting public health, so I couldn’t think of anywhere else I wanted to work except CDC, but if I wasn’t here, I might be at an animation studio in California or nestled in my home studio, painting and drawing pet portraits. At CDC, I help educate the public, as well as clinicians and responders. I create a variety of communication and training materials, including 2D and 3D illustrations, animations, and 3D models. A project I really loved working on was the creation of a prosthetic arm. CDC staff needed a more hands on method of teaching a swabbing technique for Anthrax testing in other countries. So I thought, “What’s better than lifelike arms? As lifelike as possible!” I used theater makeup to create scabs and pustules on a coworker’s arm and then made a mold and cast. I airbrushed the model and painted it with blisters, blood, and puss. It was great! It was like working on the set of a sci-fi movie! I love getting up every day not knowing what disease I’ll be working on next, but knowing I can impact people’s health, safety, and security. It’s amazing to see your artwork reaching so many people and actually making a difference. I’m Alissa Eckert and I AM CDC!

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https://www.cdc.gov/about/videos/IamCDC/IamCdcEckertExt/IamCdcEckert_Ext.wmv

Archive

Wikimedia Commons, in Wikimedia Commons

Licence or status

Public domain, as the Wikimedia Commons states it.

Rights statement

Public domain

Credit

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed