Did you know the ASSP Columbia‑Willamette Chapter has an active student section at OSU in Corvallis? The Oregon State University ASSP Student Section continues to bring heart, energy, and passion to our regional safety community. They meet biweekly, creating a welcoming space for students to learn about the safety profession, connect with peers, and engage with guest speakers and industry partners.

This year’s leadership team, President Natalie McKinley, Vice President Daniel Burns, and Treasurer & Secretary Philip Gomez, works closely with faculty advisors Allison Hagihara and Barbara Hudson‑Hanley, Ph.D., to support students from OSU’s Environmental & Occupational Health Program as they explore career paths in the field of Environmental Health & Safety.

To help students on their professional journey, the Columbia‑Willamette Chapter offers local scholarships that provide financial assistance to ASSP student members pursuing safety-related degrees. This support recognizes the dedication of students as they prepare to become the next generation of safety professionals.

Coming soon! Look for interviews with graduating OSU students in our next newsletter. They’ll share what sparked their interest in safety, how ASSP shaped their academic journey, and what excites them the most as they launch into their careers.

To connect with the OSU student leadership or learn more about upcoming meetings, reach out to Marta Szabatin at szabatin@ohsu.edu   

What initially drew you to ASSP and what keeps you engaged?

I am a relatively new member of ASSP (about 2 years). I attended my first meeting as a non-member. At that meeting, I realized how welcoming everyone was and how tight-knit the safety community was, so I decided to become a member. Fast forward a couple of months, and I was at the Pulp and Paper conference and stopped by the ASSP booth, and was introduced to Kyle and Linda and they were so welcoming, and so I decided to get involved by becoming a Delegate at Large for the Santiam Section and later co-chairing WISE. What keeps me engaged is seeing the members show up every month and be so engaged with the safety profession. It is also really cool to be able to network with new people at each meeting.

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Todd Hudson

President, Maverick Safety Training

Mentorship Chair, ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter

Meet Todd Hudson

Maverick Safety Training is a professional development firm that caters to people in the EHS sector, specifically helping them become great trainers. A lot of EHS professionals are technically very knowledgeable, but don’t know how to create and deliver engaging content that people remember and changes behaviors.

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THANK YOU to Natalie McKinley for taking the time from her studies and 2 jobs to share her experiences as an ASSP Student Member with us!

If you are interested in ways to get involved with our ASSP Student Section at Oregon State University, or to mentor or be a mentee with our developing mentorship program next chapter year, please reach out to us at updates@cwc.assp.org!

Natalie McKinley

OSU Student, ASSP Student Member, Kinesiology Major | EOH Minor

What initially drew you to the field of occupational safety and health, and how has your perspective on the field evolved since you started your studies?

When I first started studying here at Oregon State, I had dreams of becoming a Physician Assistant, until I began working in a concrete manufacturing company. Seeing all of the injuries being viewed as “casual,” made me rethink my future career choice. I’ve always had a passion for helping others, which has only been made stronger through my studies of Environmental and Occupational Health.

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Deb Bridges, Health & Safety Consultant, ASSP CWC Community Service Chair

Can you share what initially drew you to Safety & Health and what continues to motivate you in your work? Additionally, is there a particular project or achievement in your professional career that you’re especially proud of?

I was offered a job at Safety Northwest shortly after I left my job as the food service director at Reed College, where I’d spent the previous 17 years.  I had always been intrigued by the Safety & Health field, distinctly remembering my first meeting with an EH&S director and thought, wait, you can do that for a living?!  So when the owner, Joe Mullens, offered me an opportunity, I couldn’t wait to get started!  Joe absolutely loved what he was doing and I was certainly looking for place that allowed me to feel like my work was making a difference in people’s lives.

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