EHS has two new staff members that we'd like to warmly welcome. We asked them a few questions so you can get to know them better. Welcome to the team, Jerel and Laura!

Jerel Harris	Laura Scholer-Bland
General Safety Manager	Lab and Chemical Safety Specialist
Jerel is joining us from Fort Valley State University. He brings 17 years of experience, 4 (almost 5!) degrees, and manufacturing experience to the EHS office. Jerel has an Associate’s in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor’s in Industrial Safety, a Master’s in Environmental Health and Safety, a Master’s in Business Administration, and is currently working on a Public Health degree at Georgia Southern. He was drawn to Georgia Tech by its reputation as a premier university, and is eager to be around proficient and competent managers. Jerel hopes to integrate a hands-on approach into occupational health programs. In his experience, he has found that professionals must be involved from a programmatic side for successful implementation. He envisions his role as a way to support operations without interfering and hopes to alleviate worker stress. In his free-time, he enjoys photography and talking to young people about the importance of higher education.	What is your background? I have a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Chemistry. Previous employment: I have worked for the Environmental Protection Division, Department of Natural Resources as an analytical chemist in the VOC GM/MS Laboratory. Quality Assurance manager at Hygeia laboratories and Quality Control Analyst at Anheuser Busch. Right before I began work here, at Tech, I was a formulation technologist at the Dow Chemical Company specializing in rigid polyurethane formulated systems. I was also their EH&S deliver lead in the research and development labs. What made you choose GT? I chose Tech as a new opportunity to grow my EH&S skillset in an academic setting. Tech offers an exciting and innovative environment to work in. What are you most excited to bring to GT’s EHS? I am excited to bring the processes and ideas that I have learned in the manufacturing/industrial space. Tell me a fun fact about yourself! An interesting fact about my life outside of Tech is that I am the Owner and Designer of Apricot's Jewels. I started my jewelry company in 2009. I was one of Atlanta's Emerging Designers at the Atlanta Americasmart in 2011-2013. My jewelry is sold in various shops around the country. I also love to train and ride horses when I can. I show under Dream Big equestrian.