Before joining Food and Drug Administration in 1978, Shank performed program evaluations and served as a nutrition specialist with the Food and Nutrition Service for domestic food assistance programs at the United States. Department of Agriculture.
Shank earned his doctorate in nutrition at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has authored or co-authored numerous papers and has made many presentation on public health, nutrition and food safety. His best known work was the implementation of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Acting in 1990.
In 1994, he was the recipient of the Babcock-Hart Award.
Shank was elected a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (Institute of Food Technologists) in 1991, then later joined Institute of Food Technologists in managing their Washington, Doctorate.C office. Shank retired from Institute of Food Technologists as a Vice President of Science, Communications, and Government Relations in 2010.
He received his Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Kentucky and his Doctor of Philosophy in nutrition from the University of Maryland, College Park.
