AIHA Recognizes Members for Outstanding Achievements
The American Industrial Hygiene Association announced its 2009 award recipients, saying all have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments and provided significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and environmental health and safety professions. "It is my privilege to honor these individuals who have such dedication and commitment to enhance the profession," said AIHA President Lindsay E. Booher, CIH, CSP. "The winners of these awards deserve this recognition by their peers as a result of their outstanding accomplishments and contributions."
Three of the recipients were honored at yesterday's Opening Session. They were:
Donna M. Doganiero, CIH, who received the Alice Hamilton Award, which was established in 1993 by the AIHA Board of Directors and is presented to an outstanding woman who has made a definite, lasting achievement in the field of occupational hygiene through public and community service; social reform; technological innovation; or advancements in the scientific approach to the recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace hazards. Doganiero holds the most senior position in industrial hygiene and occupational health in the military. She manages seven major occupational health mission areas: industrial hygiene, ergonomics, ionizing radiation, nonionizing radiation, vector-borne diseases, medical safety, and health hazard assessment during weapon system development. Doganiero has been recognized with multiple awards for service and dedication to the protection of our military men and women.
Alan Rogers, MSc, CIH, COH, FAIOH, who received the William P. Yant Award, which was established in 1964 to commemorate the leadership and contributions to industrial hygiene of William P. Yant, first president of AIHA. Sponsored by the Mine Safety Appliances Company, the award is presented for outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields by an individual residing outside the United States. Rogers has a long association with occupational hygiene as a teacher and a researcher and is currently recognized as one of Australia’s leading experts on asbestos. In recent years, he has focused on evaluating suitable methods for the monitoring of diesel particulate, especially in underground coal mines. As a result of this research, many Australian mines have developed suitable monitoring strategies to assist in the control of employee exposure to diesel particulate.
William C. Hinds, ScD, CIH, who received the Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award, which was established in 1943 in honor of Donald E. Cummings, AIHA’s third president. It is given for outstanding contributions to the knowledge and practice of the industrial hygiene profession. Hinds has been a full professor in the UCLA School of Public Health since 1986. His major research interests have been in the areas of aerosols as related to human health hazards and exposure assessments. Hinds' academic career includes extensive peer reviewed publications, research grants, and membership on technical and standard setting committees. He has chaired or served on Doctoral Committees for approximately 90 students at UCLA and Harvard and has also chaired or served on the graduate committees for over 50 master's degree candidates.
The association will bestow its annual President's Award tomorrow at the AIHA President's Reception. This honor is given to an individual, task force, special interest group, or local section for outstanding contribution to efforts to achieve the mission of AIHA during the presidency year, but the name of the recipient is kept a secret until the presentation.
On Thursday, the following two industrial hygienists are slated to receive awards at the AIHA annual business meeting:
Robert A. Curtis, CIH, will receive the Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award, a prize established in 1984 in honor of Edward J. Baier, AIHA’s 37th president. This award is sponsored by Bureau Veritas and is presented to the individual, company, academic institution, organization, or association that has made the most significant contribution to industrial hygiene in recent years. According to AIHA, Curtis has been on the cutting edge of technology and industrial hygiene for OSHA for more than 30 years. He was one of the first to realize the power of the computer and the Internet and developed the OSHA Computerized Information System in the early 1980s to counter the baby boomer retirement knowledge drain. Curtis was instrumental in establishing the use of computers, video documentation, and on-site analysis as a tool for improving industrial hygiene audits. He engineered the development of OSHA electronic assist products such as e-Tools and safety and health topics pages as an educational and technical resource.
Carter B. Ficklen, III, CIH, will receive the Kusnetz Award, which was established in 1987 and named for its donors, Florence Kusnetz and AIHA Past President Howard Kusnetz. This award honors a certified industrial hygienist who is younger than 40 years old, is employed in the private sector, and exhibits high ethical standards and technical abilities in the occupational and environmental health and safety profession. Ficklen has been a practicing industrial hygienist for 12 years, working for private companies specializing in construction, engineering, and defense contracts. According to AIHA, he has achieved his certification in industrial hygiene and demonstrates commitment to and talent for motivating and guiding other professionals to seek certification in industrial hygiene just as he did. AIHA adds that Ficklen is well grounded in IH basics, including air monitoring, managing a hearing conservation program, hazard communication, and employee training.
In addition, the AIHA Board of Directors is using AIHce 2009 to bestow its Honorary Membership Award to Steven H. Davis, CAE. Honorary members are elected by the board to honor persons particularly distinguished in the general field of industrial hygiene, or in a closely related scientific field, who have made significant contributions to the industrial hygiene profession. This year, that person is Davis, who became AIHA’s Deputy Executive Director in May of 1998 and its Executive Director in January of 2003. During his more than 10 years at AIHA he has accomplished much on behalf of the association and the profession, AIHA said.
Nominations for awards are solicited from late summer until December 1. The AIHA Awards Committee makes its selection in January, and awards are given at AIHce each year. For more information regarding the AIHA awards program, please contact Judy Keithline at (703) 846-0702 or [email protected].