As an Aerospace Technologist at NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC), Jenette Gordon uses her knowledge of chemicals and their potential ecological impact to search for ways to minimise long-term environmental effects.

Jenette oversees all environmental cleanup activities at SSC. She started her career with NASA in 1974, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Loiusiana. Jenette briefly taught junior high science, before General Electric hired her as a contractor at SSC. She worked in the environment lab, evaluating the absorption of contaminants in aquatic plants and studying their affects on the ecosystem. She went on to supervise her contract team, overseeing the collection of all data in the lab.

Jenette was hired by NASA in 1994 as a civil servant to continue her work in the lab. She also was tapped to handle permit and reporting efforts for environment cleanup areas around the center.

"The scope of my job really gives me a chance to make a difference, educating NASA employees and administrators, as well as the community, about effective changes we can make to help our environment and the ecosystem," Jenette said.

"I'm doing what I can to help change the culture around here and let people know they can make a difference, no matter how small. A difference not just limited to the workplace," she said.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. In August, she was awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for her expert knowledge of, and creative approaches to, the handling of hazardous waste and permitting.

Jenette is also changing the landscape of her profession. She was recognised as a Woman of Achievement by the 2003 Woman of Colour Research Sciences and Technology Awards conference, sponsored by the U.S. Black Engineer Information Technology magazine. The conference recognised under-represented women of colour in the engineering community and celebrated their accomplishments.

Jenette doesn't see change as a roadblock or a challenge, but as an opportunity for betterment. "So much good can come from changing something, whether it's the air we breathe or the lives we touch," she said. "Either way, you have a chance to make a tremendous impact."