My passion for applying new analytical techniques to enhance our knowledge of toxicological mechanisms was evident early in my career. I began my toxicological training as an undergraduate in 1994 and published my first article in 1996, which reported a new analytical technique to detect cell death. Since this date, my career has focused on the detection and mechanisms of environmental toxicants, endogenous molecules and xenobiotics. After obtaining my Ph.D. in 2001, I learned business management skills as a toxicological consultant, but I quickly realized my scientific passion was to promote public health by applying hypothesis-driven research. I am now very fortunate to have had this opportunity for nearly 10 years as the Branch Chief for Environmental Chemistry at the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).