People call sociologist Lin Nelson the "box lady."

Nelson, a scholar turned environmental activist, carries a box full of books and newsletters about the environment everywhere she goes.

"I continue to think of Lin as a leader in ways that inspire me," said Phyllis Mansfield, a professor of health and women's studies.

Mansfield met Nelson 15 years ago when they were both graduate students here. Nelson talked Mansfield into joining the Women's Health Group in State College, the first self-help group here.

Nelson left her teaching position at Cornell University to become co-director of the Central New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health, a worker health and safety project in Syracuse, N.Y.

"She's turned her scholarship into activism," Mansfield said.

Aside from her work on the council, Nelson is working with a community of Mohawk women whose breast milk is contaminated by pollutants. She works with the women on a reservation on the border of New York State and Canada.

"Their community is ringed by polluters," Neslon said Thursday when she appeared as the fifth speaker in the Six Feminist Scholars Lecture Series.

The women in this community are taking an active role in the research being conducted on them, Nelson said in a discussion with a group of University students.

When scientists conduct research on women who are chemical victims, the results can change how women feel about their bodies, Nelson said.

"Women are becoming very astute at recognizing the oppression in scientific method," she said. "Sometimes research is handled like a full scale assault by a scientist looking for results to support a theory."

Research done on other women with toxins in their breast milk due to industry has left the women feeling polluted, Nelson said.

"Their bodies have become enemies to themselves and their children," she said.

The Mohawk women are attempting to avoid this by negotiating with scientists and realizing they are in a position to make demands because they have something the scientists want, Neslon said.

Apart from her work with the Mohawk women, Nelson is an advocate for workers' safety.

"Whenever you think about the environment always include the work place," Nelson said.

Workers are the front line victims of environmental degradation, she said.

Recently, sexist "fetal protection" policies have been used to keep women of childbearing years out of certain jobs which might threaten their health and subsequently employers avoid cleaning up the workplace, Nelson said.

Suana Reppert, Earth Day committee co-director for Eco-Action, said such policies are sexist because both men and women should be informed of all environmental risks in their workplace and then choose whether they want to continue to work there or not.

"Eventually the workplace is going to have to be restructured because the present situation isn't very sustainable," Reppert said.

While on the surface these policies seem to protect women they ignore the fact that men's health also affects the health of future offspring, Nelson said.

Fetal protection policies are made to prevent lawsuits, not protect future children's health, she said.

"It is very important that (the environment) is not just a women's issue; it affects everyone," said Kathy Foster, administrative aid for the Women's Studies Program.

Nelson is also co-chair of the National Women's Health Network Committee on Occupational and Environmental Health.