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CLSO Profile



 

  1. Who are you? 

Myung Chul Jo (M. Jo), CLSO

I was born and raised in South Korea. After high school and military service, I moved to Boston area, in Massachusetts where I lived and studied for 12 years until I moved to Nevada.

I enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, water and snow skiing, and hiking. Volleyball and softball are my favorite sports. I have been playing as a pitcher in a local city softball league for the past 15 years.


 

  1. What is your educational background?

I went to the University of Lowell (UL), currently University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML). I earned my master’s degrees in Radiological Sciences and Protection (RSP) and was enrolled in the Ph.D. program until I moved to my current location.

 

  1. Where do you work?


I work for the University of Nevada, Reno and the Nevada System of Higher Education (northern component). This includes the Desert Research Institute and a few of thecolleges. I am the radiation safety officer (RSO) and laser safety officer for them. Our work locations include campuses in Nevada, other states, and the Antarctic.

 

  1. When did you start working with lasers?


I got involved in laser safety in 1994.

 

Becoming an LSO and CLSO

 

  1. How did you become the LSO? 

My main responsibility is radiation safety. Radiation includes ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. I was told that laser safety was included in non-ionizing radiation. LS was added to my responsibilities. The first thing I did was to take a 40 hour LSO course in 1994. It seemed like it took years to develop a campus wide laser safety program. I received a lot of help from laser experts from the (San Francisco) Bay Area Laser Safety Officers (BALSO) which I have been a member.

 

  1. What are some of the challenges of today’s LSO? 

Laser technology advances very rapidly and it brings challenges. Laser safety requirements change with changing applications and new developments. There are wide ranges of laser applications and new applications are continually being developed. The responsibilities of the LSO are challenging and it is rewarding to be able to assist laser users in their specialty areas to achieve their goals safely.

 

  1. How has becoming certified helped/benefited you in your career? 

Being a certified LSO and continuing to stay as a certified LSO set a course for me to maintain and keep up to a certain level of knowledge in the field. I have to have knowledge and understanding of what I am supposed to do in order to help others. My association with certified LSOs is a tremendous asset in my laser safety career. When I face challenges and unusual circumstances with no clear answer or direction, I always turn to my BALSO CLSO colleagues for assistance so people I provide services to benefit.