Cheryl Zurbrick on a walkway in the woods.

Meet Cheryl Zurbrick, Director of Lab Safety and Operations

Cheryl Zurbrick sits down with the College of Science Graduate Program staff to talk about her job as Director of Lab Safety and Operations for the College of Science at Northeastern University.

Tell us about your role at the College of Science.

I’m the Director of Lab Safety and Operations for the College of Science. A lot of people think I work for EHS, but I actually work for the people in the labs! I’m here to support our teaching and research lab workers in doing their science safely, mitigate some of the burdensome compliance rules, and be a liaison with other groups like EHS and Facilities. I’m here to help!

What are some common myths about lab safety?

The biggest myth is, “it won’t happen to me.” Accidents go under-reported so it’s hard to have accurate statistics on how frequently things go wrong (or almost go wrong) – but anecdotally I’d say that almost everyone has some sort of minor “oops” during their graduate studies. (Myself included!) People are often embarrassed when they make a mistake, which is a bit silly because we’re all here to learn and aren’t expected to be perfect. The best thing people can do is let others (labmates, PI, me) know about what happened because it could literally save someone else’s life!

Another big myth is that safety means not being able to do anything the way they want to, or that they’ll be asked to do a bunch of time consuming and extra steps. That’s often not true, and minor things can go a long way in improving safety. (Like wearing eye protection – quick and easy!)

What do you think is the most important lab safety rule?

That’s a tough one because there are so many important rules! I guess I’d say “be prepared” which encompasses wearing appropriate safety gear, feeling comfortable with what you’re doing, and knowing what you’ll do when something goes wrong.

What is your favorite part about Northeastern?

I absolutely love interacting with students! They continually impress me with their intelligence and creativity for problem solving, and have so much energy. They keep me on my toes and young at heart!

What is your favorite part about Boston?

Warm sunny games at Fenway – go Red Sox!

What advice would you give to COS graduate students?

Hang in there – the road to getting you masters or PhD is a rough one in many ways, but you can do it. As one of my PhD mentors would tell me on my bad days, “If it were easy, someone else would have done it already!”

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

In my spare time I’m a potter! I love getting up to my elbows in clay and making new things from nothing. (Stop by my office to see some of my creations – the door’s open!)

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