Catherine Brennan

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

I am the Executive Director of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) and have been with the department and University since 2008. I started as the Chemical Hygiene Officer and have expanded my role over the last 16 years.

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

I started my career as a synthetic organic chemist working in the pharmaceutical industry. While there I dabbled in safety as a member of the research and development safety committee and site emergency response/hazardous materials team. After 10 years as a chemist, I decided to try something different by moving into EHS. It was a great decision for me as it is a challenging field, and no day is the same!

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

EHS works with everyone on campus – we handle safety for every single employee in every work environment and also are involved in general campus safety and environmental issues. EHS helps support the mission of the University by allowing teaching, research and public service to occur safely while adhering to regulatory compliance and also protecting the environment. EHS strives to provide these services as partners and respond quickly when we are needed. As such we have established great relationships with a variety of campus partners.

Describe what you love most about your job. 

I love how challenging and unexpected my job can be. I literally never know what a day will bring and what new issue I will need to learn more about. I also enjoy the relationships and collaboration with so many different interesting people who are part of the campus community. UNC-Chapel Hill is like a small city and there are so many interesting things always going on and it is great to be a part of that type of innovative community.

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

In the last 20 years, EHS professionals have moved from a generalist role to more of a technical role. As such it can be an interesting career path for scientists or engineers interested in risk management and compliance.  My best advice would be for folks to be involved in EHS at the unit level and if they find it interesting to pursue more opportunities. This could include being a safety advocate for your specific team or lab, participating on departmental and University-wide safety committees and even becoming involved in EHS issues in your local communities.