Matthew (Matt) Anderson, long time UNL Biosafety Officer, is moving on from the Environmental Health & Safety Office.
Matt says good-bye with the following statement:
"Working at UNL has provided me with some of the most rewarding experiences and I am grateful for everyone I have interacted with over the years, especially my colleagues in EHS and the faculty and researchers that have trusted me to help them do their science safely. UNL is a special place, and I will always be proud to say that I worked here. Go Big Red!"
EHS and the university will miss Matt but wish him well in his new endeaver.
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Meet our Newest EHS Staff
Cameron Spaulding: Hello, I recently joined UNL's EHS department as an EHS technician. I have a B.S. in Biochemistry with minors in Math and Physics. As an EHS Technician, my duties include conducting Safety & Compliance surveys of laboratory spaces on campus, while also assisting with the collection of chemical waste, bio-waste, and radioactive material waste from laboratory spaces. On my off hours I like to read, cook and scuba dive whenever I get to travel.
Anna Jungck: Hi, I recently joined the biosafety team at EHS. I graduated from UNO with a B.S. in biology and a minor in psychology. I conduct Safety and Compliance surveys, review IBC protocols, and assist in other biosafety matters. My passions outside of work include coffee, trivia nights, time with family and friends, and being outdoors with my dog.
Jack Carter: Hello, I recently joined UNL's EHS Department as a technician. I have a B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife, and a minor in Criminology & Criminal Justice. As an EHS Technician, my duties include conducting Safety & Compliance surveys of laboratory spaces on campus, while also assisting with the collection of chemical waste, bio-waste, and radioactive material waste from laboratory spaces. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, gardening, and creating art.
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EHS Employees with New Duties
Rebecca Cederberg is the Assistant Biosafety Officer and previously served as an EHS Technician. She has a background in academic research with experience in molecular and cellular biology and enjoys being able to facilitate research through her work at EHS. One of her primary roles is to assist researchers during the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) protocol submission process. She also helps with the Laboratory Safety program and serves as a liaison for several buildings on campus. She looks forward to helping faculty, staff, and students with their laboratory and biosafety questions and concerns. Rebecca is currently working on a Master of Public Health degree at UNMC and in her spare time she enjoys traveling, kayaking and spending time with her family.
Ignacio Jimenez is the Research and Laboratory Safety Specialist and formerly served in the role of EHS Technician for several years. Originally from the Texas/Mexico border region, he enoys good barbeque, tacos and traveling. He is a UNL alumnus and holds dual B.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Biological Scinces. His current duties include serving the campus community as a safety resource for laboratory work and research initiatives while also supporting the implementation of the Biosafety, Radiation Safety and Laboratory Safety programs.
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T.J. Bond Awarded Admiralship in Nebraska Navy
T.J. Bond (middle-right), UNL EHS Assistant Director of Environmental Programs, was recognized as a Nebraska Admiral by Jim Macy (middle-left), Director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, and representing the Nebraska Ethanol Board are, Jan tenBensel (left), and Scott McPheeters (right). The honorary title of "Nebraska Admiral," presented to T.J. on August 31, 2021, is the highest civic honor awarded to individuals by approval of the Governor of Nebraska. T.J. was awarded the certificate for his part during the production and distribution of more than 200,000 gallons of hand sanitizer at the Nebraska Innovation Campus during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
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October is Biosafety and Biosecurity Month
Promoting Innovation in Biosafety and Biosecurity as the theme this year. The following are some recent innovations EHS has implemented:
- Creation of a Post-approval monitoring program for Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) protocols for research with biological materials.
- Production of Biosafety Cabinets and Autoclave Operations videos as a supplement to available online training modules.
- Implementation of a training outreach program to provide on-demand hands-on training on various biosafety topics, such as Biosafety Cabinet Operations, Spill Clean-up Procedures, Proper Donning and Doffing of PPE, Bloodborne Pathogens Program Training
You can learn more about these programs or access the resources at the links below.
https://ehs.unl.edu/committees/ibc/protocol-development
https://go.unl.edu/ehs_in-person_training
https://ehs.unl.edu/video-resources
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Join EHS in welcoming Justus Foged and John Lohmeier to our office.
Justus Foged, Assistant Director for Campus Operations Compliance, works to ensure facility maintenance operations and equipment are in compliance with local, state, NFPA, and other organizational regulations and guidance. Justus grew up and met his wife in Morrill, Nebraska, before moving east. They have two daughters, aged 12 and 16. Justus and his wife enjoy watching their daughters play volleyball and cheerlead at their respective schools in Waverly, Nebraska.
John Lohmeier, UNL's Asset and Inventory Manager, manages the University's fixed asset inventory from the day the assets are purchased to the day they are discarded. John also manages the public and online surplus auctions that are held near EHS at the new Materials Management Building. John has been working at UNL for 44 years and has been happily married to his wife, Wendy for 42 years. They met and lived in Pleasant Dale, Nebraska, until moving to Seward about 4 years ago. John and Wendy spend much of their time with their two daughters' families who live in Seward and Firth, Nebraska.
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EHS Welcomed two new employees in January 2021. Please send a warm welcome to Syed Naeem (left) and Macrae Zappala (right)
Syed Naeem is EHS's Assistant Radiation Safety Officer. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Physics from Idaho State University. While studying in Idaho, Syed enjoyed carving up the slopes skiing at Pebble Creek Mountain. While he waits patiently for his wife currently residing in Pakistan, he has stayed busy riding, working on, and traveling on his motorcycle. Syed is looking forward to meeting and working with the RAM and X-Ray users at UNL.
Macrae Zappala is an Environmental Health and Safety Technician for the EHS Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UNL. Macrae enjoys playing hockey as a left forward in an adult league. When he is not playing hockey Macrae loves to be around his family and dogs who reside in Lincoln. Once or twice per year he enjoys visiting family in Connecticut. As an EHS Technician, Macrae will be conducting safety and compliance surveys and supporting hazardous and universal waste disposal around all three UNL campuses.
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Joel Webb receives Kudos award from NU Regents
Pandemic preppers receive Kudos
from NU Regents
