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AIHA NEWS AND NOTES

AIHA Honors Recipient of 2020 President's Award  In late May, AIHA announced that Perry W. Logan, PhD, CIH, is the recipient of the 2020 President’s Award. The accolade is presented annually to an individual, task force, special interest group, or local section to recognize outstanding contributions related to efforts to achieve AIHA's mission. Kathleen S. Murphy, CIH, AIHA president for 2019–2020, chose to honor Logan for his contributions to AIHA and the profession of industrial hygiene, including the academic study and application of leadership to IH roles.  “Dr. Logan’s success can not only be attributed to his vast experience and technical knowledge, but also his ability to influence and inspire industrial hygienists to think outside the box and pursue continued learning,” Murphy said. Read more in AIHA’s press release.

A Tribute to Eula Bingham, 1929–2020 BY ROBERT LIECKFIELD, JR., AND BARBARA COHRSSEN We are sad to report that one of the titans of modern-day industrial hygiene and occupational health, Eula Bingham, passed away June 13, 2020, at the age of 90. She began her career in industrial hygiene at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1961 as a researcher doing pioneering work on chemical carcinogens. Eula was an authority on occupational disease and on cancer-causing substances. Over her lifetime, she contributed more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles on occupational and environmental respiratory hazards, chemical carcinogenesis, and occupational and environmental health policy. Eula served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health from 1977 until 1981 under President Jimmy Carter and was the first woman to lead the agency responsible for ensuring the health and safety of millions of American workers. During her OSHA tenure, she led the agency on what was termed a set of “common sense priorities” focusing on serious problems in the workplace, helping small businesses comply with OSHA rules, and clarifying and simplifying safety rules. She led the charge to improve American worker health, issuing many new health standards for toxic chemicals and establishing the “New Directions Training Program,” which created grants for small businesses and worker groups to improve education about hazards in the workplace. The program served as a model for the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in training their workers and communities. The occupational health and safety profession salutes and celebrates Eula and her accomplishments. We owe a debt of gratitude to her and all the other health and safety pioneers who helped pave the path for worker safety and health. Continue reading this tribute and leave your memories of Eula on SynergistNOW. Robert Lieckfield, Jr., CIH, FAIHA, and Barbara Cohrssen, CIH, FAIHA, are members of the Yuma Pacific Southwest Section.

AIHA Accolades In May, Barbara Dawson, CIH, CSP, FAIHA, an Environmental, Health, and Safety Fellow at DuPont, received the American Chemistry Council 2020 Responsible Care Employee of the Year Award. The award recognizes Dawson’s “exemplary leadership” in the Responsible Care program, which is the chemical manufacturing industry’s environmental, health, safety, and security performance initiative. Read more on DuPont's website. AIHA Fellows Zack Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP, and James Thornton, MS, CIH, CSP, were among five safety experts honored as Fellows of the American Society of Safety Professionals in May. ASSP’s highest honor recognizes society members who have made significant contributions to the occupational safety and health profession. More information about Mansdorf’s and Thornton’s careers can be found in ASSP’s press release.

Congratulations to the students whose posters were selected as best in show during Virtual AIHce EXP 2020. Li Liao of Purdue University came in first place with the poster “Size-Selective Bioaerosol Sampler Combined With an Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Bioluminescence Assay.” The second-place winner was the University of Washington’s Hannah Echt, whose poster was titled “Characterization of Alpha Diketone Emissions and Exposures During Coffee Production.” Kathryn Crawford of the University of Iowa placed third for her poster “Simulations of Control Strategies to Reduce Sound Exposures of Music Instructors.” Present at AIHce EXP 2021  As the status of the current health crisis continues to fluctuate, AIHA is planning to host an in-person event for AIHce EXP 2021 in Dallas, Texas, with a robust virtual program. The submission portal for the 2021 conference is now open, and proposals for professional development courses, educational sessions, professional posters, and presentations of case studies and scientific research will be accepted through Sept. 23, 2020. Student poster and presentation submissions will be due on March 16, 2021. Guidance on Surface Disinfection Practices  A new white paper developed by members of AIHA's Nonionizing Radiation Committee addresses occupational exposures to UV light from artificial sources. "Occupational Safety and Health Guide for Surface Disinfection Practices Using Germicidal Ultraviolet Radiation" is freely available as a PDF on AIHA's website.

AIHA webinar: “Fighting the Risk of Worker Fatigue in a 24/7 Workplace.” Sept. 15–16 2020 AIHA-Rocky Mountain Section Fall Technical Conference in Arvada, Colorado. Sept. 15–17 Virtual PSX 2020 (formerly the Product Stewardship Conference). Sept. 23 Deadline to submit proposals for AIHce EXP 2021. Sept. 29 AIHA webinar: “How to Organize and Win: Essentials for Effective Public Policy Advocacy Strategies.” Aug. 21–26, 2021 New dates for IOHA 2021, the 12th IOHA International Scientific Conference, in Daegu, South Korea. For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's website.