Jonathan Moore

What is your position at UNC-Chapel Hill, and how long have you been associated with the University?

Academic Radiation Safety Officer, 23 years.

How did you initiate your career in this field or what led you to your current position?

Underemployment after college lead me to go to graduate school for Environmental Sciences and Engineering at UNC Gillings School of Public Health. My concentration was in the Air, Radiation, and Industrial Hygiene section focusing on Health Physics. Worked at EHS (back then it was the Health and Safety Office) as a student assistant delivering radioactive materials and calibrating Geiger counters. After graduate school, I worked as a radiation safety technician at Duke, then moved on to Wake Forest School of Medicine where I became a Health Physicist. Wanting to move back to the triangle I took the Associate Radiation Safety Officer job at UNC in 2001.

Which sectors of the University does your role impact, and in what ways does it contribute to those areas of work? 

Primarily across campus with all the Schools and Colleges; anywhere research is being conducted I have a role in inspecting the labs. Making sure labs are being safe and adhering to all the rules and regulations while not being an obstacle to their research endeavors.

Describe what you love most about your job.

Every day is different, having to learn new items and assisting researchers achieve their goals without compromising safety and compliance. Seeing how technology has changed research on campus and how it affects safety and regulations (which doesn’t always go hand-in-hand).

 What advice do you have for those interested in entering a career in your line of work?

Details and documentation matter. Pay attention to small items while looking at the big picture. Learn from your mistakes because you will make them.