Jooyeon Hwang

Describe your job-what do you do, what is a typical day like?

On most days, I start by prioritizing what should be done first. For instance, on a typical day last week, I prepared for a project meeting. My task was to provide supporting data and a recommendation that would help the project. After the meeting, I attended a seminar that is directly related to my ongoing research.

What do you like about your job? What do you like least about your job?

A rich research environment is my favorite type of environment. My research skills are enhanced by working with a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary team including researchers from epidemiologists to clinical physicians. Many of them come from across the U.S. and around the world. My scientific and personal experiences have been broadened and deepened by interacting with them. Because we often deal with state-of- the-art projects here, the research for each project takes a long time. However, once I find the issue or at least get closer to the answer, I am so proud that my work is a small fraction that contributes to discovering the occupational and environmental determinants of cancer.

What got you interested in this field?

I naturally got into IH (industrial hygiene) because of my research interests. As I worked on my project in Korea, where I am originally from, I observed many workers who had been directly exposed to toxic gases from livestock as well as workers who were suffering from respiratory diseases. I became more interested in studying the effects of these toxins on people rather than on livestock. I decided that I wanted to help workers understand the effects of the environment on their health. As I have delved deeper into occupational and environmental exposure assessment, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the strong interactions of occupational/environmental issues, statistical modeling, and epidemiological research.

Where do you see yourself going in the future?

I am driven to be the best at my research. I will continuously pursue opportunities to develop my analytical and technical skills for projects, to find challenging answers working with a team, and to contribute the findings to the scientific community. Many innovative investigators at previous and current jobs have made me confident that I can keep developing my skills well into the future.

What did you gain from your University of Minnesota educational experience?

My experiences at the University of Minnesota were immeasurable, from classes to field research. My professors were instrumental in my academic and personal growth. They challenged me to perform my best with their support and encouragement. The School of Public Health field experience as well as my doctoral research field experience opened my eyes through my communication with the project participants. As a result, I undoubtedly gained the in-depth expertise, not only from textbooks but also from activities outside of class, necessary to achieve my life goals at the University of Minnesota.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in this field?

What I did when I had just started in this field was to try to find out things myself. One good way to do this might be by engaging classmates in IH by attending activities, seminars, and meetings. The experienced classmates also can give you practical advice as peers. Keep asking yourself intellectually inquisitive and passionate questions about the field. Then you will find yourself in love with IH.

Perry Logan

Describe your job-what do you do, what is a typical day like?

I am a manager for 3M’s Corporate Industrial Hygiene Team. My focus is mainly on developing the science and people responsible for exposure risk assessment and management to protect workers and communities. One of the great things about my job is that no two days are the same. In any given week, I can work with occupational physicians, production workers, manufacturing engineers, audiologists, plant EHS professionals, laboratory researchers, nurses, maintenance workers, lawyers, human resources, executives, workers, supply chain managers, customers, analytical chemists, physicists,… Our interactions focus on understanding hazards, assessing exposure risks and implementing the best controls and management solutions to protect people. Being able to work with so many really bright and diverse people is a real highlight of my job and our profession.

What do you think is the most important part of your job?

Using science to protect people from exposure risks.

What do you like about your job? What do you like least about your job?

I really enjoy helping people and science which is basically my job…I also love the people I work with on a daily basis. They are really awesome. I don’t like that there are too many things to do and not enough time to do them.

What got you interested in this field?

When I was in high school I was interested in engineering, health and medicine. My father went on a sailing trip and met an industrial hygienist who told him about his job. My father came back from the trip and told me that it would be a great job for me. So, I got a chemical engineering degree and then pursued graduate degrees in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health.

Where do you see yourself going in the future?

Everywhere. I enjoy traveling.

What did you gain from your University of Minnesota educational experience?

I had really great advisors and professors who really helped me expand my mind and appreciate learning. Our research focused on how to better understand the heuristics used for making exposure assessments and ways strengthen professional judgment. It changed the way I view everything so I can actually say my UM experience was “life changing”!

What advice would you give someone just starting out in this field?

1) Make sure that early in your career you get real world experience in challenging jobs. Getting 5 years experience in a challenging job is like 10-15 years experience in a normal job.

2) Fall in love with learning and not just in your field. I routinely read The Economist, Scientific American Mind, Science, professional journals and watch Ted Talks.

3) Leadership and communication skills are just as important as technical skills. Listening is a critical skill for both communication and leadership.

Andre Reed

Describe your job-what do you do, what is a typical day like?

I work as a consultant at an Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability firm called ERM. I provide consulting services for companies looking for support in industrial safety compliance, industrial hygiene, and mergers and acquisitions advisory strategies. A typical day for me involves coordinating our services with my fellow colleagues in our offices worldwide via phone or email, completing client reports, and preparing proposals to win additional work. I like to be in the field as much as I can, so on some days, I conduct EHS audits or industrial hygiene surveys for clients.

What do you think is the most important part of your job?

The most important part of my job is managing the environmental risks of the clients that I serve. This is why companies hire my firm so that they can feel confident that they are protecting their employees, property, and the environment while complying with environmental regulations.

What do you like about your job? What do you like least about your job?

I love the challenge of taking on new and complex issues which our clients bring to us to solve.

What I like the least about my job is the occasional late night calls with clients and/or colleagues that are 14 to 15 hours ahead of me. It makes for some long nights.

What got you interested in this field?

About nine years ago after earning my undergrad degree, one of first jobs I had out of college was an environmental consulting job. I fell in love with it. I loved the ever-changing, fast-paced nature of the work. I also loved the fact that I was making a difference by helping companies protect their employees from various environmental hazards in their workplace.

Where do you see yourself going in the future?

I see myself continuing to grow in my profession. I want to rise in the ranks of my company and become a leader in the EHS field. I believe that I can provide a fresh, diverse perspective to the field.

What did you gain from your University of Minnesota educational experience?

I gained many positive experiences from my time at the University of Minnesota. First of all, I gained a solid foundation in the EHS field which prepared me to take on the responsibilities in my current position at ERM. I also gained a lot of great professional relationships with my fellow classmates.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in this field?

Experience, Experience, Experience! Find ways to get involved in the EHS field so that you can build your professional competencies in this field.