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Saskia van Bergen
Free Range Chemist
H2L Consulting
Bio
Saskia van Bergen is a free range chemist at H2L Consulting where she works on projects to increase awareness and advance the adoption of green chemistry and safer alternatives. Projects include developing lesson materials and trainings, guidance for companies, assessing third-party certifications and curating information on chemical policies to advance innovation. She is currently teaching the Foundations of Green Chemistry and Toxicology for Chemical Stewardship course in the University of Washington Green Chemistry & Chemical Stewardship Online Certificate program.
Prior to this position she served as the Safer Chemist Lead at the Washington State Department of Ecology. Her focus was to strategically build a strong and vibrant safer chemistry program in the state. There she works with regional and national partners to develop, support and sustain green chemistry, safer alternative and toxic chemical reduction efforts. Previously, Saskia worked as an analytical chemist at several organizations including East Bay Municipal Utility District, Madis Botanicals and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Vassar College, a M.S in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Davis and a certificate in green chemistry from UC Berkeley Extension. She is Chair Emeritus of the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse executive committee.
Prior to this position she served as the Safer Chemist Lead at the Washington State Department of Ecology. Her focus was to strategically build a strong and vibrant safer chemistry program in the state. There she works with regional and national partners to develop, support and sustain green chemistry, safer alternative and toxic chemical reduction efforts. Previously, Saskia worked as an analytical chemist at several organizations including East Bay Municipal Utility District, Madis Botanicals and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Vassar College, a M.S in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Davis and a certificate in green chemistry from UC Berkeley Extension. She is Chair Emeritus of the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse executive committee.
About
GCTLC Roles
- Learning Object Peer Reviewers
- Forum Moderators
Beyond Benign Roles
- GCC Advisory Board Member
Languages
- English
Keywords Tags/Expertise
- Alternative Assessment
- Environmental Policy
- Safer Alternatives
- Analytical Chemistry
Ongoing Projects
Learning Objects Authored
Learning Objects Submitted
My Groups
| Group Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Toxicology for Chemists Group | This group is dedicated to supporting GCTLC users interested in learning about toxicology, assessing |
Open / Public |
| Greener Introductory/General Chemistry | This is a group dedicated to GCTLC users interested in greening the introductory/general chemistry |
Open / Public |
| Green Analytical Chemistry | This is a group dedicated to GCTLC users interested in green analytical chemistry (including |
Open / Public |
My Ads, Events, and Job Postings
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Please check back regularly for new job postings and opportunities from the community.
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Please check back regularly for new job postings and opportunities from the community.
Please check back regularly for new job postings and opportunities from the community.
No events found. Please try a broader search, or if the event is not listed, please consider adding it to the calendar.
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Recent Activity
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object Pre-Lab- Understanding Chemical Hazard and Laboratory- Formula of a Hydrate
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object Pre-Lab- Understanding Chemical Hazard and Laboratory- Formula of a Hydrate
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object 02 - Understanding Hazard and Risk (Toxicology for Chemists - Module 2)
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object Improving Lab Safety and Reducing Chemical Hazards in the Laboratory Classroom
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: What a great way to keep safety ever present in the lab. Thank you @Saskia van Bergen . I would add some prelab or post lab questions along to reinforce it even more. I am sure @Annette Sebuyira would agree! She gave such an awesome presentation!...
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: Thanks for sharing this @Saskia van Bergen, the learning material was straightforward without too much delving into the molecular biology thingy. This is great as an introductory lesson for toxicology. I thought this was also related to ChemFROWARD :)...
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: Hi all- there are great comments in this thread! I think @Ana Marielle Ginete makes a great point that controlling which chemicals get used, and in what quantities, is a great way to manage chemicals in the classroom, and a great way to keep track of this information is with an up-to-date inventory! And @Jerald Villarmino also raised a very common concern about what to do with chemicals that need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, which is something I want to highlight in this month's OWT webinar. If I can second @Stefanie Loomis, it is SO helpful to make connections and form relationships with the custodians, administrators, and Environmental Health and Safety leaders working in your school building and/or district. I'll be sharing my personal experience this week about how these sorts of relationships helped me facilitate a stockroom clean out and handle some unexpected discoveries! Also, @Saskia van Bergen makes a great point about state-specific resources. While there is a lot of widely available information related to lab safety and best practices for chemical management, it is always important to learn about your state and local requirements. I've worked in academic labs in three different states, and each one had different guidance for drain disposal of chemicals. I'm excited to talk more about this topic on Thursday!...
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: Thanks for this great list of resources @Saskia van Bergen , this should answer several of the questions above, especially for @Jerald Villarmino and @Ana Marielle Ginete who were trying to sort where to dispose of chemicals that cannot go down the drain. These resources, along with @Stefanie Loomis example of how to bring other school personnel into the process and make her classroom/lab gradually a very safe place, should help your efforts considerably. ...
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: Oh my, I can be here all day :). I have shared my passion for GC to transitional kindergartners and Kindergartners and they definitely grasp the principle 1: Prevent waste. I can tell you many stories, if you are at the GC and E conference this year, I submitted an abstract to share just that :). I always start with the six ring bottles connectors or 2 ring connectors of for example coffee cream, explaining how they should ask mom/dad to cut the ring before throwing away and show a picture of a fish with the ring and bird on the neck, beak and they grasp like magic the concept of preventing. Keep in mind this is not all there is to that story, only a starter, ice breaker to get them thinking:). I then move on to not only the safety aspect, but also the plastic...etc I could go on and on :). @Jerald Villarmino @Saskia van Bergen ...
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object Bees, Bananas, Benign - Green Chemistry Poster
- Saskia van Bergen was just tagged in a comment: Hi @Lucian Lucia, Looks like you've gotten some great suggestions from @Jerald Villarmino and @Saskia van Bergen is the go to expert for sure! You mentioned lecture slides etc. as well, just wanted to make sure you were aware of the "Toxicology for Chemists Curriculum" resource that's available on the GCTLC here which includes slides etc. that could be useful for you: https://gctlc.org/toxicology-chemists-curriculum There are some other good resources in that collection too. The ACS GCI also has some modules on different topics framed in the context of green chemistry that might give you some ideas for developing the cirriculum: https://www.acs.org/green-chemistry-sustainability/education/learning-modules.html It would be great to see what you put together for the course, and perhaps in the future you'll consider sharing it here on the GCTLC for others!! Once the Groups feature becomes available this summer it could be a great way to connect with others interested in building a similar course all together?? All the best,John ...
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object 02 - Understanding Hazard and Risk (Toxicology for Chemists - Module 2)
- Saskia van Bergen just published the new learning object 02 - Understanding Hazard and Risk (Toxicology for Chemists - Module 2)