Plan Your Schedule for AIHA Connect 2024 The advance program for AIHA Connect 2024 is now available. View the full list of pre- and post-conference professional development courses and education sessions online.

Subscribe or Contribute 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. Recent posts have covered topics such as reproductive health in the mining industry, EPA’s implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act, and a new effort to end the stigma associated with mental health.

SynergistNOW is available to everyone with an interest in the IH and OEHS fields, but even AIHA members must subscribe. To read SynergistNOW or subscribe, visit the blog's home page.

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Comment on Proposed Changes to Criteria for Industrial Hygiene Academic Programs ABET, the organization that accredits college and university programs in scientific disciplines, is considering changes to the accreditation criteria for industrial hygiene curricula. The changes were proposed by the AIHA Academic Accreditation Panel, or AAP.

The changes include the addition of statistical techniques for interpreting exposure monitoring data and epidemiology principles to baccalaureate-level programs and the uses and limitations of occupational exposure limits to master’s-level programs. Also proposed is the addition of criteria for associate degree programs, which prepare graduates for either entry-level technical positions or four-year bachelor’s programs. For background on the proposed changes, read the article by AAP member Alice L. Greife in the March Synergist.

ABET is accepting comments on the proposed criteria through June 15. The proposed changes and a comment submission form are available on the ABET website.

AIHA Accolades James S. Frederick, MS, has received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, the University of Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences. Frederick is the deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. In 2021, he came out of retirement to lead the agency in an interim capacity until Doug Parker, the current OSHA chief, was confirmed. More information about Frederick’s background is available from the Purdue website.

Mona Shum, MSc, CIH, has received an Alumni Builder Award from the University of British Columbia (UBC). These awards honor UBC alumni who have significantly contributed to the university and enriched the lives of others. Shum is an adjunct professor and member of the UBC Faculty of Medicine. More information is available from the UBC website.

In Memoriam Stephen J. Reynolds, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, passed away on Jan. 31, 2024. Reynolds was director of the High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety from 2001 through 2023 as well as co-founder and deputy director of the Mountains and Plains Education and Research Center from 2007 through 2022. He was a faculty member of the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University. He also served as president of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene LLC Board of Directors in 2016–2017. A remembrance of Reynolds is available from the Colorado State website.

John Downey, CIH, passed away on Jan. 31, 2024. Downey was associate manager of global industrial hygiene for Colgate Palmolive. He received a BS degree in chemical engineering from Kansas State University and was a corresponding member of AIHA’s International Affairs and Noise Committees. Read more about Downey’s life on Legacy.com.

William J. White, CSP, CPEA, passed away on March 2, 2024, at the age of 96. A veteran of World War II, White did graduate work in industrial safety engineering at the University of Delaware and later served as manager of safety and industrial hygiene for the New Jersey Zinc Co. He joined AIHA in 1991. A remembrance of White is available from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Notice of Annual Business Meeting AIHA’s annual business meeting will be held at AIHA Connect in Columbus, Ohio, at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, May 22, to introduce incoming officers and directors and address other association business. In order to establish a quorum for this meeting, a call for proxy votes will be made electronically.

2024 Consultants Listing Now Available The 2024 edition of the AIHA Consultants Listing is now available online. Updated annually, the Consultants Listing is a comprehensive directory of OEHS professionals intended for businesses, governments, and members of the public who may need OEHS services. Consultants are listed by U.S. state. A full alphabetical listing is also available, and a dynamic online search tool allows users to search by specialty, service type, and location.

Preliminary Program Released for IOHA 2024 The preliminary program for the 2024 conference of the International Occupational Hygiene Association is now available as a PDF. IOHA 2024 will be held June 9–13 in Dublin, Ireland. The conference theme is “Advancing Worker Health Protection.” For more information, visit the conference website.

Submit Nominations for ABET Awards ABET seeks nominations for its 2024 awards. Information about ABET’s awards and award nomination kits can be found on the organization’s website. Nominations are due by April 20. Learn more.

April 10 AIHA webinar: “Safe Use of 3D Printing in Higher Education.”

April 17 AIHA live virtual professional development course: “Applied Ergonomics Risk Assessment.”

April 24 AIHA webinar: “The Use of Physiological Monitoring to Assess Heat Strain.”

May 8 AIHA webinar: “Keeping Pace With the AI Revolution: The Role of the OSH Professional.”

May 20–22 AIHA Connect 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

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