Entomologist Samuel Ramsey to Give AIHA Connect Opening Keynote Entomologist Samuel Ramsey, PhD, will be the opening keynote speaker at AIHA Connect 2024. His presentation, “The Power of Peculiar Thinking: Problem-Solving Through Creativity and Ingenuity,” will kick off the conference and expo, which will be held May 20–22 in Columbus, Ohio, and livestreamed for an online audience.

Ramsey, one of only a handful of African Americans to have earned a PhD in entomology, is the endowed professor of entomology at the University of Colorado Boulder. He teaches effective communication and real-world problem-solving through understanding the deep interconnectedness between all organisms. Ramsey’s entomological work has won awards from the American Bee Research Conference, the Acarological Society of America, and the International Three-Minute Thesis Competition. He has been featured in outlets from The Washington Post to the Hulu docuseries “Your Attention Please.”

In his AIHA Connect presentation, Ramsey will share how he linked a family member’s health struggles to his research to arrive at a powerful conclusion on a parasitic pandemic harming honeybees worldwide. Ramsey will share with attendees his process for “peculiar thinking,” which stimulates the brain to process ideas in new and unique ways and clear blocks in thinking and productivity.

“Ramsey's keynote presentation promises to ignite creativity and ingenuity among our diverse community of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals,” said Alla Orlova, managing director of education and technical initiatives for AIHA. “His unique perspective will challenge us to break free from conventional boundaries and explore uncharted territory in problem-solving.”

AIHA Connect, formerly AIHce EXP, is the preeminent conference for OEHS professionals. The conference supports attendees in discovering industry trends, state-of-the-art research, and new technologies, as well as in fostering professional connections. AIHA Connect programming builds participants’ knowledge and expertise through high-quality, peer-reviewed presentations, product demonstrations, poster sessions, table talks, and pre-and post-conference professional development courses.

“We look forward to welcoming OEHS professionals in person and online as we collectively explore how we can make our workplaces and communities healthier,” said Bethany Chirico, AIHA's managing director of global meetings and outreach.

All AIHA Connect programming, including the professional development courses to take place on May 18, 19, and 23, will be held in the Greater Columbus Convention Center. For more information or to register, please visit the conference website.

Cast Your Ballot in the 2024 AIHA Board Election AIHA will partner once again with ElectionBuddy to provide a safe, secure web-based voting system during the 2024 Board of Directors election cycle. Instructions on how to vote in the election, which will run from Feb. 9 to March 1, 2024, will be emailed to members in February.

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. Each petition must include a letter from the nominee stating the nominee’s willingness to stand for election. Petitions must be emailed to the chair of the Nominating Committee by Jan. 26.

Important information about AIHA governance is available from the association's website. Email questions to Thursa Pecoraro.

Students: AIHF Scholarship Applications Due Feb. 5 The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is accepting scholarship applications for the 2024–2025 academic year. Students are evaluated on academic record, extracurricular activities, future goals as an industrial hygienist, and potential for leadership in the industrial hygiene profession. Several AIHF scholarships have specific criteria, and schools or students who meet those criteria will be given first consideration.

All application materials must be submitted by Feb. 5. For more information on AIHF scholarships and eligibility requirements, please visit the Foundation's website.

Since 1982, AIHF has distributed more than $2.5 million in scholarship funds to students pursuing degrees in industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety. More information about AIHF, including reflections from scholarship recipients, can be found on the Foundation website.

AIHA Accolades NIOSH researcher Kenneth Fent, PhD, CIH, received the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) President’s Award, which recognized several researchers’ dedication to firefighter health and safety. Recipients received their awards at the opening ceremonies of the IAFC Fire Rescue International Conference in August, according to NIOSH eNews.

The University of Rochester in November announced that Michael Liberty, CIH, CSP, was named associate vice president of environmental health and safety and chief safety officer at the university, effective Nov. 1, 2023. Liberty had served in an interim role since December 2022.

Lauralynn Taylor McKernan, ScD, CIH, director of the NIOSH Division of Field Studies and Engineering, is the recipient of ACGIH’s 2023 Meritorious Achievement Award. The award recognizes ACGIH members’ outstanding, long-term contributions to the field of occupational health and environmental hygiene.

Jennifer McNelly, CEO of the American Society of Safety Professionals, was appointed to the board of directors of the American National Standards Institute, which provides a framework for safety standards development and conformity assessment systems. Her term as a director-at-large began Jan. 1. Read more at bit.ly/mcnellyansi.

Stephanie Miller, CSP, CIH, is a recent recipient of the National Safety Council’s Marion Martin Award, which is presented annually to outstanding female safety professionals. Miller is the safety and health manager of critical projects and waste operations for United Cleanup Oak Ridge in Tennessee.

J. Torey Nalbone, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, was recently named to two committees of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the accrediting body of the University of Texas at Tyler College of Engineering, where he is associate dean. Nalbone will serve terms on the Governance Committee and the ABET IDEA Council.

AIHA member Robert Vannice, MS, CIH, CSP, is among the National Safety Council’s 14th class of Rising Stars of Safety, which NSC describes as a group of leaders younger than 40 dedicated to making workplaces safer. Vannice is a senior industrial hygienist at Amazon.

Attend Town Hall for International Members Join AIHA's International Affairs Committee on Jan. 17 for an online town hall that will explore how AIHA membership can support international members and other occupational hygiene professionals in their country. Discover special discounts on memberships, gain access to valuable educational and technical resources, and learn about the global contributions of the AIHA Ambassador Program. This event is intended to help participants make a difference in global worker health. Learn more and register via AIHA’s website.

The mission of AIHA’s International Affairs Committee is to promote the advancement of the practice of occupational hygiene around the world by being a focal point of contact with international organizations on professional development, technical, and educational issues.

Puerto Rico Local Section Reestablished AIHA recently announced the re-establishment of its Puerto Rico Local Section, a bilingual Spanish/English section representing occupational and environmental health and safety professionals and industrial hygienists in the region. Membership is open to those in Puerto Rico as well as individuals from the nearby Caribbean islands. Please email the local section for more information.

Share Ideas for Board Discussion A new form on AIHA’s website allows individuals to suggest topics they would like the association’s Board of Directors to address. The form can be accessed via the governance page on AIHA’s website. The form is also intended to collect information on issues about which the Board should be aware.

AIHA Resource on NIOSH Website Links to AIHA's Commit to C.A.R.E. website have been added to two of NIOSH's workplace safety and health topic webpages. The links appear on the topic pages for respiratory infections in the workplace and pandemic planning for healthcare settings, encouraging users to visit Commit to C.A.R.E. for more information on infectious diseases.

Resources for Academics AIHA provides access to a variety of educational materials intended to assist academic faculty in supplementing their OEHS curricula. These resources are designed to enhance students’ learning experience and help them become better prepared professionals as they embark on their careers.

Dates and Deadlines Jan. 12 Deadline to submit nominations for AIHA awards.

Jan. 17 AIHA International Affairs Committee Town Hall.

Jan. 25 AIHA University webinar: “The Revised Ergonomic Toolkit: An Introduction to Assessing Musculoskeletal Risk.”

Feb. 5 Deadline to submit AIHF scholarship applications for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Feb. 6–April 4 Virtual Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review course. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12–2 p.m. ET, cosponsored by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society.

For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's website.