Building bridges with industry to improve workplace safety
Janice was a critical care nurse studying occupational health nursing at UW when she became fascinated by industrial hygiene and decided to pursue a master’s in that field as well. At the time, men dominated industrial hygiene, but that didn’t deter Janice. Over her 35-year career, she collaborated with leaders in manufacturing, health care and other sectors to tackle occupational hazards facing Washington workers.
In addition to teaching and mentoring students, Janice directed the UW’s Field Research and Consultation Group, which consults with Washington companies to evaluate and reduce workplace exposures. Janice also fought to improve occupational safety at a national level. Soon after Senator Patty Murray was appointed chair of the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee in 2007, Janice spent six months in Washington, D.C., supporting the Murray team. Becoming subject matter experts, Janice told her students, is the best way to influence policy and make a lasting difference.
Affiliations: Principal Lecturer Emeritus, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, UW School of Public Health