Two years ago I filed an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) suit in response to repeated episodes of apparent racial discrimination. Although the outcome was not entirely satisfactory- the offending party resigned before the case could be processed-my involvement in this action proved to be a pivotal event in my life. As an industrial hygienist with a branch of the military, I was already involved on a regular basis with the resolution of environmental problems on an advisory basis. The EEO suit heightened my awareness of the law and the extent to which legal training could enhance my effectiveness in the ongoing battle against environmental dangers. Environmental concerns have long been one of my principal passions. This is what prompted me to secure a master's degree in public health, and this is why I have worked for nearly five years in a branch of occupational health. There it is my responsibility to recognize, evaluate, and control environmental hazards in this community of 5,000 to 8,500 employees. I interact on a daily basis with everyone from physicians, admirals, and other officers to engineers, blue-collar workers, and enlisted men. I have to keep up-to-date on a wide array of complex codes and regulations that are in a constant state of flux. My background in science, decision-making skills, judgment, ability to interpret data, and capacity for communicating with others-all of these assets are brought into play as I perform my job.

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