spotlight
FIRST BIOSAFETY OFFICER FOR UNC CHARLOTTE
R
esearch and Economic Development welcomed Gina Ramoz as the University’s first Biosafety Officer at the end of the summer. Enticed by the opportunity to build a biosafety program for UNC Charlotte from the ground up, Gina relocated from Salt Lake City, Utah where she served as the Biosafety Officer for the University of Utah. In her role there, she was responsible for the safe conduct of biological research in approximately 1,350 research labs in 300 buildings campus wide, including oversight of a Select Agents Program and Biosafety Level 3 research. Gina’s interest in biosafety grew from her life-long love of science. Before receiving her MBA from the University of Utah, with an emphasis in healthcare administration, she worked in the Department of Pharmacological Toxicology at the University of Utah, where she managed a multi-million dollar research program, conducting research and designing experiments which resulted in publication in various scientific journals. She admits that while she misses being in the lab for her own projects, she delights in the opportunity to learn of research being conducted by so many talented researchers. The purpose a biosafety officer serves on a campus like UNC Charlotte, aside from the obvious task of establishing and ensuring that work with biological agents is conducted safely, is to increase compliance with biosafety requirements thus having a significant impact on the ability of researchers to receive grants from federal institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Gina looks toward opportunities to interface with various stakeholders campus wide, conducting risk assessments, and disseminating information via training sessions and tutorials in order to cultivate a culture of safety at the university and to provide UNC Charlotte researchers even more advantages to succeed. Gina brings enthusiasm not only to her work at the university, but in life in general. Outside of work, she is an outdoor enthusiast who pursues activities including hiking, windsurfing, dancing, and yoga to name a few. She is an avid reader, but she also finds time to volunteer as an environmental activist and to aid homeless pets. Reach out to Gina if you have any questions or concerns regarding biosafety by email at gramoz@uncc.edu or by phone at 704-687-1825.
FALL 2014
7
millennial