Name: Hugh E. McLoone
Position: Ergonomist
Organization: Microsoft
Year graduated from UW DEH: 1990
Degree: MS in Industrial Hygiene & Safety
Faculty Advisor: Steven Guffey

Describe your job:
I participate in product development teams designing computer input devices. I first went to Microsoft to reduce injuries among computer users by improving the designs of computer mice and keyboards. Since then, I’ve learned that productivity and emotional well-being are also important when improving the experience of people interacting with computers.
What do you find interesting or exciting about your job?
It’s exciting to think my ideas and effort affect so many people – millions of people – who use Microsoft hardware products. I do sometimes miss the one-on-one I had helping individual employees; however, I do meet with individuals who participate in my research during the product development process. It’s a similar satisfaction to see a satisfied customer as much as a satisfied employee.

Describe the path you took from UW to your present job:
It was fate. If my fiancée, now wife, had not insisted on going to graduate school in Silicon Valley, I never would have worked at Apple Computer. Then, within months, we realized we’d made a mistake moving away from Seattle and we made a vow to return. It took us nearly 6 years and it was coincidence that Microsoft had a job opening at the same time we were getting ready to make the move back to the Pacific Northwest. Professionally, it turned out that Apple Computer needed someone to address product safety issues associated with electromagnetic fields from displays, chemical emissions from printers, and ergonomics from input devices and, being trained as an industrial hygienist, I had the knowledge and skills to address those issues. My experience being on the receiving end of poorly designed products made me aware of the opportunities for new, innovative input product designs.

How did your experience at UW DEH help prepare you for this position?
Talking to graduates of other programs, I realized how special the program at UW DEH is. The professors created a balanced program between theory and applied science. Graduating students had the foundation based on theory as well as the applied skills to conduct field evaluations. Students of other programs never used a sampling pump until after they left graduate school. The comprehensive DEH curriculum can be applied to any research program between people and the environment and tools they work with – including design of computer peripherals.

What was the most valuable thing you learned at DEH?
The experience of the instructors and their willingness to share it with us students was invaluable. And, it helped to be persistent in organizing and completing one’s thesis project. Find a project that interests you. A project you can be successful with and stretches your skill level. Stand your ground to maintain your vision of the project. Be patiently persistent to complete the project even though schedule and resources do not go as planned.

What advice would you have for students currently enrolled in the department?
In school take advantage of all the resources available to you: the instructors, the staff, the library, the alumni, the summer internships, etc. Dive into classes you’re required to take even though you think the classes do not apply to your program. Explore classes that interest you. Take time to canoe on Lake Washington during sunny days. At the annual industrial hygiene conference, enjoy traveling with your fellow classmates and sign up for job interviews.
In work, find the value proposition – not just the avoidance of negative consequences but the positive value you offer to your organization. It reminds me of a fact of life that Jack Hatlen shared with me: “When people are sick they donate their money to the medical school for a cure; not the public health school for prevention of their illness in the first place.” The same is true in the workplace. When everything is going well, we struggle to get managers, employees and product manufacturers to improve work experiences. But, an accident or tragedy does. Take advantage of the accidents; but, don’t wait for the negative. Find the positive value in your work.

What opportunities exist in your sector for new graduates?
It never ceases to amaze me how many different job possibilities exist in the work place: office and manufacturing ergonomic programs, usability, product design, pure and applied research, and more. If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing today, I would look into international EHS. So many companies have moved their hazardous jobs overseas, often with lower regard to addressing job hazards and environmental issues. The challenge for the next century is to improve the lives of workers in Asia and other countries who have sought out jobs for their citizens. Given both a global economy and a global environmental experience, we have a challenge ahead creating successful EHS programs given cross-cultural needs and characteristics.

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