ST. PAUL, Minn. – Did you know that International Women’s Day started in 1977? It was first established by the United Nations General Assembly to honor and recognize women, and to celebrate women’s rights. Today, 3M’s Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) hosts various events organized to celebrate International Women’s Day and 3M takes active strides to foster inclusion of women at every level of the organization.
Meet Nikki McCullough: Explaining where science and keeping workers healthy and safe intersect
Women contribute more to science than you might imagine at first. For instance, women like Dr. Nikki McCullough, a Global Technical Services and Regulatory Manager for 3M’s Personal Safety Division, have found their way into occupational safety and health area in an effort to help protect people from future disease outbreaks by helping companies understand how to use personal protection equipment properly.
But, don’t take our word for it. Let Nikki tell you about her path and work for herself. She recently talked to the women at the Beyond the Microscope, a podcast dedicated to sharing the voices of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Nikki had a chance to muse on topics ranging from industrial hygiene to even how to sort of survive a zombie apocalypse! She also explains about the research, design and planning that goes into making respirators, including how manufacturers like 3M work to make them comfortable and lighter. Give it a listen today by accessing the podcast here. (Running time: 31:38)
Nikki wants companies to have the resources, tools, equipment and understanding to implement a health and safety program that is effective in helping prevent injuries and illnesses. She wants to encourage girls interested in engineering and health to look into occupational health careers.
3M’s Mission to Support Women Wins Awards
3M supports the WLF mission to attract and develop leaders at every level of the organization to accelerate the inclusion and advancement of women globally. It is people like Nikki and many others throughout 3M that show a commitment to promoting women in the workforce.
In fact, 3M is a recipient of the prestigious 2017 Catalyst Award for the great strides we’ve made toward the inclusion and advancement of women. We encourage you to get involved in International Women’s Day on March 8th and throughout the year to celebrate women in the workplace and help create a diverse, engaged workforce.