1993_obloza_douglas | Woodward HOF

Janina Obloza Douglas Inducted 1993 - Class of 1971

Janina's interest in people and their surroundings prompted her to seek a degree in environmental engineering.

She has been actively involved in the development of instruments now being used to monitor the work areas of employees exposed to toxic materials and hearing destructive noise levels.

She is also responsible for regulatory issues involving the management of commercial hazardous waste water treatment. The facility that Janina is responsible for is the largest industrial wastewater treatment complex in the country.

For two years, Janina served as the chairperson for her local United Methodist Earth Stewardship Group, an environmental action organization. Its activities include promoting and supporting a countywide voluntary recycling program, promotion of local tree planting, state-sponsored

roadside clean-up programs, and general environmental awareness.

Under Janina's guidance, the group's major accomplishment in 1990 included a twentieth anniversary Earth Day Fair involving the coordination of over 15 environmental organizations from southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. Janina and her husband, Richard, live in the Pennsylvania countryside.

As salutatorian of the Class of 1971 and National Merit Scholar, Janina attended Purdue University, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering. She was also active in Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honorary society.

Since graduation, Janina has been employed by E. I. Dupont, currently serving as its Senior Technical Service Engineer. Janina has co-authored two technical papers published in a national technical journal and served as the co-captain of E. I. DuPont's United Way Drive.

Janina's early interest in engineering, structural engineering, that is, was spurred at Woodward. "In our junior year, Jeff Zenz got a group of us together to build the first mechanical homecoming float in Woodward history! It was built on a flat bed trailer and had three mighty polar bears that rushed down a football field to knock over three cowering Waite High School Indians. Of course, the junior class won the first place trophy in the homecoming float competition!"

'We didn't do quite as well that homecoming in stealing mascots, however. The year before the senior class had been able to kidnap the official Waite Indian statue. But we had to settle for borrowing the Roth Pontiac wooden Indian Chief! "

"The best thing about Woodward, however, was the awesome theatrical talent of the students. My favorite memories are of Jon Lepiarz playing Fagan in the 1968 Extrav, Oliver!; Lenica Rose singing 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' in the 1971 Talent Show; and Debbie Longenberger starring in the Diary of Anne Frank in 1970. "

Janina's best friends at Woodward included Leslie (Reaume) Schaill, Jerry Radwanski, and Karen Eidy.

She insists that everyone's favorite teachers were Mr.Duvendack and Mr. McMurray. "They really seemed to enjoy teaching and they were a lot of fun to be around."

There were also several other instructors who were very special to her including Eileen Hudgin, Pat Perruchon, Jim Vogelsang, and Thomas Hauman. "Each of these teachers had an extraordinary talent for introducing their students to new ideas. Most of all, I felt that they really cared about each of us as individuals.