Carolyn Phillips Oral History
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Dublin Core
Title
Carolyn Phillips Oral History
Description
Carolyn Phillips was a recognized leader in health & safety issues in the early days of environmental engineering and industrial hygiene. In 1960 she graduated from Pratt Institute with a mechanical engineering degree, where she was one of three women studying engineering. Phillips' first position was with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, working for two years as a reactor engineer on SNAP (Safety Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power). In 1962 she became the only woman engineer in the Division of Industrial Hygiene of the New York State Department of Labor. Her job included fieldwork, during which she collected samples of industrial wastes by climbing tall smokestacks and down into rock quarries. During this time Phillips also earned her Master's in civil engineering from New York University, with a concentration on sanitation.
In the 1970s, Phillips was a student at NYU's Institute for Environmental Medicine and School of Engineering, working toward a Ph.D. While there, she served as Assistant Research Scientist at the Institute, conducting inhalation studies, and worked as a consultant with Environmental Analysts, Inc, participating in various health and environmental projects. From there, Phillips moved on to a long career at Shell Oil Company as an Industrial Hygienist, retiring in a management position. While at Shell, she worked on a special year-long assignment in the Netherlands where she was responsible for evaluation and development of an international occupational hygiene program. After retirement she worked as a health & safety consultant providing litigation support for both Shell and the Chemical Manufacturing Association.
Throughout her career, Phillips maintained active membership and leadership in a number of professional organizations including SWE, ASME, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. She has taught courses in industrial hygiene as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Phillips has also received several appointments and honors from such organizations as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, ASME, and SWE.
In the 1970s, Phillips was a student at NYU's Institute for Environmental Medicine and School of Engineering, working toward a Ph.D. While there, she served as Assistant Research Scientist at the Institute, conducting inhalation studies, and worked as a consultant with Environmental Analysts, Inc, participating in various health and environmental projects. From there, Phillips moved on to a long career at Shell Oil Company as an Industrial Hygienist, retiring in a management position. While at Shell, she worked on a special year-long assignment in the Netherlands where she was responsible for evaluation and development of an international occupational hygiene program. After retirement she worked as a health & safety consultant providing litigation support for both Shell and the Chemical Manufacturing Association.
Throughout her career, Phillips maintained active membership and leadership in a number of professional organizations including SWE, ASME, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. She has taught courses in industrial hygiene as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Phillips has also received several appointments and honors from such organizations as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, ASME, and SWE.
Oral History Item
Interviewer
Lauren Kata
Interviewee
Phillips, Carolyn
Date Recorded
2003-06-05
Coverage
1930’s-present
Citation
“Carolyn Phillips Oral History,” Michigan Oral History Database, accessed April 11, 2025, http://www.database.michiganoha.org/items/show/312.