Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory, the Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Department, and the Food Safety and Environmental Stewardship Program. Through these experiences Kgokong-Sethebe observed and participated in the daily routine of a variety of labs with different techniques and management styles.

According to Kgokong-Sethebe, her experiences at these labs gave her the knowledge and skills required to develop HOORC’s brand new chemistry lab. This required planning the physical set up, arranging the supplies and instruments, developing filing systems, redesigning an equipment room to protect sensitive equipment from dust, storing chemicals safely, and other planning and design projects necessary for a well-organized, well-functioning lab.

Students using the lab also benefited from her OSU experience. As a result of her training, she developed an orientation program to train students in the proper use of lab equipment and supplies, safety issues, and general operating procedures.

Recently, she began “training” lab suppliers to provide complete data for materials ordered. For instance, she works with the vendors who supply gas canisters to the lab to generate a complete analysis of the gas content of each canister. Although ensuring that the paperwork is completed fully and properly might seem to be of only administrative importance, knowing the purity of the gasses that scientists and technicians are using will enable the lab to be more confident of their research results.

These efforts have already started to pay off for HOORC. The lab participates in two quality control exercises, one through the Botswana Bureau of Standards and one through the South Africa Bureau of Standards. In these exercises, samples are sent to participating regional and national labs for analysis. Out of 36 participants, HOORC consistently scores in the top five — truly an exceptional start for a new lab.

Kgokong-Sethebe remains the only person in the lab with management expertise. As a result, she performs all of the lab’s administrative functions, including analysis, purchasing supplies and equipment, and maintenance. Several new hires are scheduled in 2003 to increase the capacity of the lab and to help ease these constraints. Kgokong-Sethebe believes that her experiences at OSU more than prepared her to train the new hires. She explained, “When I arrived in Oregon, I was a technician with no management skills. Now, I have set up a lab systematically and feel capable of managing it.”

For more information on the OSU/UB partnership, contact ALO Program Associate Marilyn Crane.