COMMUNITY

AIHA NEWS AND NOTES

AIHF Launches President’s Leadership Award The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation announced on Oct. 29, 2019, the establishment of the President's Leadership Award. This award, to be given annually by AIHF, will be the foundation's highest scholarship and professional development honor. The award consists of a considerable scholarship and a professional development opportunity to attend a meeting of the British Occupational Hygiene Society or the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, or a comparable international conference on occupational health and safety. The President's Leadership Award is made possible thanks to a generous $150,000 endowment and annual donation by John Henshaw, MPH, CIH, FAIHA, who served as president of AIHA in 1990–91.  "This is a way for me to give back to the profession by helping others as others have helped me in my career as an industrial hygienist,” Henshaw said. “I see the establishment of this award as the 'gift that keeps on giving' to the working women and men around the world in ensuring their health and safety."  To qualify for the President's Leadership Award, applicants must demonstrate scientific, literary, and research acumen in industrial hygiene, environmental, and occupational health disciplines. Applicants must be graduate students with a focus in IH or exposure science. Students must also demonstrate strong propensity toward leadership, volunteerism, and problem-solving. Most notably, applicants must show genuine passion for using their knowledge, experience, and talents to make a tangible and positive impact on worker health and safety. More information about the President's Leadership Award is available on AIHA’s website.

Call for Volunteers: AIHA Finance Committee  The AIHA Finance Committee is a standing committee that works with AIHA’s Board of Directors, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer to monitor the finances of the association. There is currently one opening on the Finance Committee for a three-year term beginning June 2020. If you are interested in serving on the Finance Committee, please review the roles and responsibilities (PDF) and submit your application by Jan. 31, 2020. The application is available as a PDF. Once your application is received, you will be contacted to set up an appointment for a 30-minute phone interview with a member of the AIHA Board. Email Belinda D’Agostino or call (703) 846-0721 with questions. Cast Your Ballot in the 2020 AIHA Board Election AIHA has partnered with eBallot to provide a safe, secure web-based voting system during the 2020 Board of Directors election cycle. Instructions on how to vote in the election, which will run from Feb. 15 to March 6, 2020, will be emailed to members in February. Members who require a paper ballot must submit their request by email no later than Wednesday, Jan. 22. The paper ballot will be mailed by early February and must be returned postmarked no later than Friday, Feb. 21, to be counted in the election. Nominations by petition are due soon. In addition to nominations made by AIHA’s Nominating Committee, nominations for officers and directors may be made by petition of not less than two percent of members who are eligible to vote. Petitions must be submitted to the chair of the Nominating Committee at nominations@aiha.org by Feb. 4.  Important information about AIHA governance is available online. Email questions to AIHA.

In Memoriam Raj Ganapathy, CIH, passed away on Oct. 10, 2019. He was 56. Ganapathy most recently worked as a senior industrial hygienist at Washington River Protection Solutions in Richland, Wash. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s in environmental chemistry at the University of Madras in India, and later achieved a master’s in environmental science at Southern Illinois University. His full obituary is available online from the Tri-City Herald. Thomas C. Goob, MPH, MBA, CSP, CIH, passed away on Sept. 11, 2019. He was 48. Goob was vice president of quality, safety, and risk management at Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc. He served as president of the Hawaii Local Section in 2003 and was previously a member of AIHA’s Healthcare Working Group. His full obituary is available online from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kim Douglas Merritt passed away on Oct. 24, 2019. He was 51. Merritt was an active volunteer and previously served in several leadership roles, including chair, for AIHA’s Nonionizing Radiation Committee. In 2015–16, he was president of the Tidewater Local Section. Merritt worked with the Safety and Quality Assurance Alliance at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., for 17 years until his retirement in 2018. His full obituary is available online from Ever Loved.

All application materials must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2020. For more information on AIHF scholarships and eligibility requirements, please visit the foundation's website.

Awards Nominations Due Soon AIHA is accepting nominations for the 2020 AIHA awards until 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 15, 2020. AIHA’s awards honor individuals who provide significant contributions to the IH and OEHS professions. More information on AIHA awards and honors, including links to nominations forms, is available on AIHA's website. The award recipients will be recognized during the Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast at AIHce EXP 2020 in Atlanta, Ga.

2020 Consultants Listing Coming Soon  The Consultants Listing is a comprehensive print and online directory of IH and OEHS companies across the nation that is requested by some of the top organizations in the industry. The latest edition of the Consultants Listing will be published in February. If you missed the opportunity to purchase a listing, you can still get an online-only listing. For more information, email Wanda Barbour or call (703) 846-0782. The Consultants Listing is also available online. Subscribe to SynergistNOW  The SynergistNOW blog offers ideas, insights, and perspectives on important topics affecting industrial hygiene professionals, written by and for experienced IHs, researchers, academics, and AIHA leaders. Launched in 2016, SynergistNOW features two new posts per week. The blog is available to everyone with an interest in the IH and OEHS fields, but even AIHA members must subscribe. Visit SynergistNOW online.  Dates and Deadlines January 15 Deadline to submit nominations for AIHA awards. January 23 AIHA webinar: “An Introduction to Big Data and Data Analytics.” January 27 Deadline to submit AIHF scholarship applications for the 2020–2021 academic year. January 31 Deadline to submit applications for the AIHA Finance Committee. March 9–13 Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review course in Ann Arbor, Mich. Co-sponsored by the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society. June 1–3 AIHce EXP 2020 in Atlanta, Ga. For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's website.