FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Release No. SPR-08-520-01   

Judy Keithline, AIHA Executive Office
(703) 846-0702; jkeithline@aiha.org
      
Melissa Hurley, AIHA Communications
(703) 846-0740; mhurley@aiha.org

AIHA Recognizes Members for Outstanding Achievements

Winners will receive awards at AIHce 2008

FAIRFAX, VA (May 20, 2008) — Recipients of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) awards demonstrate exceptional accomplishments and provide significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and environmental health and safety (EHS) professions. AIHA will recognize the 2008 recipients for extraordinary service at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“It is my privilege to honor these individuals who have such dedication and commitment to enhance the profession,” said AIHA President Donald J. Hart, PhD, CIH. “The winners of these awards deserve this recognition by their peers as a result of their outstanding accomplishments and contributions.”

AIHA award recipients are:

Kathleen Kreiss, MD
Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award

The Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award was 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.

Kreiss has been actively involved in research on occupational exposures to beryllium and butter flavoring chemicals. Her work in these two research areas has identified a new cause of respiratory lung disease among workers exposed to butter flavoring chemicals and has directed and vastly advanced research on the causes and correlates of beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium lung disease.

The Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award will be presented at the AIHA annual business meeting Thursday, June 5.

James H. Vincent, PhD, DSc, FRSC
Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award

The Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award 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.

Vincent is a preeminent scientist, practitioner, and leader in the field of aerosol science and in industrial and environmental health sciences. He has been on the editorial board of three major industrial hygiene-related journals and is recognized internationally as an outstanding researcher and practitioner in the areas of aerosols, exposure assessment, filtration, dust control, and ventilation. He is a major contributor to the concept of compartmentalized air sampling (inhalable/inspirable, thorax, and pulmonary), which is an important, more recent development.

The Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award will be presented at the general session Monday, June 2.

Alan J. Leibowitz, CIH, CSP
AIHA Distinguished Service Award

The AIHA Distinguished Service Award was established in 1978 to recognize distinguished service in the advancement of industrial hygiene and to recognize unique technical contributions that align with the goals of AIHA. The basis for selection includes accomplishments with excellence in any aspect of industrial hygiene.

Leibowitz has been a dedicated member of AIHA for more than 20 years. He has contributed at the national level throughout his career with leadership and active participation in technical committees and special project work. He is a long-term member of both the Management and the Publications Committees and has authored numerous articles for various industrial hygiene publications.

The AIHA Distinguished Service Award will be presented at the AIHA annual business meeting Thursday, June 5.

Nicole V. McCullough, PhD, CIH
Kusnetz Award

The Kusnetz Award was established in 1987 and is 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.

McCullough’s doctoral research was concerned with the performance of respirator and surgical mask filters when challenged with biological aerosols. This work helped elucidate how such aerosols are collected in filters, which was important to decisions made by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for developing filter certification standards and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for developing guidelines to protect health care workers from infectious tuberculosis aerosols.

The Kusnetz Award will be presented at the AIHA annual business meeting Thursday, June 5.

Carol H. Rice, PhD, CIH
Alice Hamilton Award

The Alice Hamilton Award 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.

Rice is being recognized for her innovative research and technical advances in occupational exposure assessment, student and worker education and training, and community service. Her exposure assessment research has been instrumental in understanding the health effects of exposure to silica and beryllium. She has also made many contributions to human health studies for refractory ceramic fibers and asbestos, and she has contributed papers to numerous peer review publications on exposure assessment methods.

The Alice Hamilton Award will be presented at the general session Monday, June 2.

Guy Bourgeoisat, CIH
William P. Yant Award

The William P. Yant Award 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.

Bourgeoisat is a founding member of the French Occupational Hygiene Association. He is being recognized for his tireless efforts to advance industrial hygiene education in France and around the globe. A pioneer in occupational hygiene training, he contributed significantly to the creation of the university-level courses at Lyon, Amiens, and Angers. He has been a board member of the International Occupational Hygiene Association since 1995.

The William P. Yant Award will be presented at the general session Monday, June 2.

President’s Award

The President’s Award 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. The award will be presented at the AIHA President’s Reception Wednesday, June 4.

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 jkeithline@aiha.org.

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Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA’s 10,600 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government, and academia. For more information, go to www.aiha.org.