Suna Yi Sariscak works to protect public health and the environment by ensuring that chemical plants and other industrial facilities meet Maryland’s stringent air quality standards.

As a Unit Lead Engineer for the Chemical and Mineral Division of the Air and Radiation Management Administration, Suna manages four engineers who review air quality permit applications and issue air quality permits to be sure that stationary sources of air pollution are built and can operate in compliance with state and federal air quality requirements. These sources include facilities such as chemical manufacturing plants and pharmaceutical industries.

Suna, who is from Laurel, recalls being concerned about air quality from a young age. She enrolled in courses on the environment and air pollution control at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“I wanted to help improve Maryland’s air quality,” she said. “I thought it was an interesting goal.”

Suna graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and was hired by MDE shortly afterward as an entry-level engineer. She has worked for MDE for 15 years. She has developed policies and procedures to streamline and simplify the permitting process for complex industrial facilities. She has also helped to improve the training process for new employees.

“We work as a team to achieve the program’s overall goals,” she said.

Suna’s focus includes industries that want to produce alternative fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. She and her team review applications for the technical feasibility of such processes and evaluate methods of control to make sure that the industries comply with air quality standards.

Suna lives in Clarksville with her family.