Nhu Nguyen, a student at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), is set to graduate with a master's concentration in environmental and occupational health and safety. Nguyen's interest in public health was sparked during her freshman year of college by a friend who introduced her to epidemiology and the importance of worker health and safety.
“She was the one that told me you can care for people in different ways,” Nguyen recalled. Her friend's influence led Nguyen to explore a career in industrial hygiene, which she describes as a field where "industrial hygienists are essentially the scientists that break down the types of exposures workers are operating in."
Nguyen's experience includes a summer internship with a mining company and personal sampling among workers in a bread factory. However, it was her involvement with the Docside Clinic, under Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD, that gave her significant pride. The clinic provides primary health care services to dock workers in southeast Texas.
Nguyen also used her connection with the Galveston County Food Bank to supply food during clinic visits. Noting many workers were Spanish-speaking or Vietnamese, she drew on her Puerto Rican and Japanese heritage to tailor her approach, even preparing special meals for Lunar New Year with help from her mother.
“Food is a love language of ours,” she said. “My mom doesn’t necessarily understand what I do, but she understands the love and care I have for others.”
Outside of her studies and work, Nguyen enjoys an active lifestyle with her family, which includes rock climbing and cooking. She shares a special bond with her oldest daughter over their mutual love for banana bread.
“My two favorite things are being an industrial hygienist and being a mother,” she stated.
As Nguyen prepares to graduate on May 13, she looks forward to celebrating this milestone with her family present.
