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Staff Profiles

This year, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Over the past five decades, EHS has played a pivotal role in advancing the University’s core mission of teaching, research and service, by providing comprehensive environmental, health and safety services to the Carolina community. This includes education through training and consultation, maintaining a safe environment by identifying and managing health and safety risks, ensuring a process for regulatory compliance and mitigating potential liabilities.

To mark this milestone, EHS wants to recognize the teams that make up the department and acknowledge the individual contributions these staff members provide to the University daily. Their expertise and dedication play a crucial role in making UNC-Chapel Hill one of the most widely recognized and well-respected global research institutions.

Administrative Team

The Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) department is primarily responsible for environment, health and safety functions at the University, by developing EHS programs and performing various periodic inspections. The administrative team at EHS oversees departmental functions including purchasing, finance, documentation/record retention and daily operations.

Administrative Team

Chemical and Laboratory Safety

The Laboratory Safety team oversees University laboratories, anticipating, recognizing and controlling personnel exposures to workplace hazards, providing consulting services, managing the Chemical Hygiene Plan and ensuring compliance with the Laboratory Ventilation Policy, while also handling Chemical Safety activities aimed at enhancing safety through education, compliance and continual hazard assessment to support evolving research needs.

Chemical and Laboratory Safety Team

Biological Safety

The Biological Safety team provides oversight of biohazardous activities, ensuring safe handling, while also monitoring containment system performance, offering consulting services on biological safety, and assisting with packing and shipping of biohazardous agents.

  • Biological Safety Officer Amanda Craigen
  • Associate Biological Safety Officer Chris Broberg
  • Biosafety Specialist Wes Bland
  • Biosafety Specialist Rachel Turner
  • Biosafety/Shipping Specialist Liz Dearing
Biological Safety Team

Environmental Affairs

The Environmental Affairs team manages environmental permitting and compliance, including underground/above ground storage, air and water quality permits, stormwater and wetland concerns, as well as assessments at inactive waste sites, while also overseeing hazardous and radioactive waste collection and disposal programs.

  • Environmental Compliance Officer Larry Daw
  • Environmental and Stormwater Compliance Officer Janet Clarke
  • Stormwater Specialist Stephanie Grubbs
  • Hazardous Materials Manager Doug Benjamin
  • Hazardous Materials Specialist Arthur Bentulan
Environmental Affairs Team

Fire Safety and Emergency Response

Fire Safety and Emergency Response oversees enforcement of North Carolina building and fire codes, conducts fire incident investigations, formulates evacuation protocols and manages campus-wide maintenance of fire alarms and around 7,000 fire extinguishers, ensuring compliance with code requirements through annual inspections and maintenance.

Fire Safety and Emergency Response Team

Occupation and Environmental Hygiene

The Occupational and Environmental Hygiene team promotes campus health by identifying and mitigating hazards, leveraging expertise in industrial hygiene, asbestos management, air and water quality, and safety engineering, collaborating with Facilities Engineering and Facilities Services to ensure historical buildings’ functionality and address health concerns in new construction and renovations.

Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Team

Radiation Safety

The Radiation Safety team provides a range of services such as authorizing radioactive material usage, conducting personal monitoring, X-ray safety surveys and laboratory safety inspections, extending its expertise to UNC Health and other UNC System institutions in need of such services.

  • Director of Radiation Safety and Chief Radiation Officer Roger Sit
  • Medical Radiation Safety Officer Sharn Jeffries
  • Academic Radiation Safety Officer Jonathan Moore
  • Cyclotron Health Physicist Matt Barrett
  • Health Physicist Aaron Gunsalus
  • Health Physics Technologist Matthew Battistel
  • Health Physics Technologist Michael Burton
  • Health Physics Technologist Britton Van Vleek
  • Health Physics Technician Montego Fearrington
Radiation Safety Team

University Employee Occupational Health Clinic (UEOHC)

The University Employee Occupational Health Clinic provides comprehensive occupational health care services to all UNC-Chapel Hill employees, overseeing medical workplace illness and injuries, conducting pre-employment screenings, annual immunization reviews and medical surveillance for both healthcare and non-healthcare workers.

  • Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Swanson
  • Associate Medical Director Dr. Catherine Coe
  • Workplace Safety Manager Mary Crabtree
  • Occupational Safety Nurse Jeanne Brueggemann
  • Occupational Safety Nurse Jenna Pauli
  • Administrative Support Associate Riley Mills
UEOHC Team

Workplace Safety

The Workplace Safety team provides specialized services in ergonomics, respiratory protection, safety training, medical surveillance, workers’ compensation and Safety Management Information Systems across diverse environments including industrial maintenance, construction, support services and clinic settings.

  • Workplace Safety Manager Mary Crabtree
  • Clinical Hygienist and Workers’ Compensation Administrator Cory Kirkland
  • Workplace Safety Specialist Seth Teague
  • Occupational Field Hygienist Neah Tucker
  • Facilities Services Safety Officer Joe Willson
Workplace Safety Team

Risk Management

Risk Management Services plays a key role in the management of the University’s entire risk portfolio. Many other campus units share in this responsibility, and Risk Management partners with those units to achieve a coordinated, cohesive and enterprise-wide approach to managing all University risks. By providing this team-oriented approach, campus customers are assured that they have the full force of the University’s risk management resources behind them.

  • Risk Manager Janet Hoernke
  • Risk Manager Tyler Lunsford
  • Risk Management Specialist Natalia Shapiro
Risk Management Team