Bio

Dr. Brent Olive has been employed at UNA since 1999, and has served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Hygiene since 2009. UNA’s industrial hygiene program has been accredited by ABET since 2001, and UNA’s chemistry program has been approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) since 1973. He teaches courses in both industrial hygiene and chemistry including Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Toxicology, Introductory Chemistry, and General Chemistry. Dr. Olive’s current research interests primarily revolve around ultraviolet remote sensing of environmental contaminants along industrial fence lines. The fence line monitoring networks provide real-time information to stakeholders via the Internet, and early warning to near-bye community members in the event of accidental industrial chemical releases. Relatively recent legislation in the State of California required all oil refineries to utilize real-time fence line monitoring. The work involves field surveys, routine data analysis, and original laboratory experimentation. In conjunction with this work, Dr. Olive has published twenty ultra-violet quantitative gas phase spectra in the UV Spectral Atlas at The Max-Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. In addition to serving as department chair, he serves on various departmental, college, and university committees, and currently serves as Chair of the Wilson Dam Section of the American Chemical Society.

Research Interests

  • Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health

Education

  •   Environmental Health (PhD)
    The University of Alabama at Birmingham
  •   Public Health (MSPH)
    The University of Alabama at Birmingham
  •   Industrial Hygiene/General Chemistry (BS)
    University of North Alabama