2023 - 2024 Volunteer Groups Named Award Recipients
Lila Albin Award
Presented by the AIHA Indoor Environmental Quality Committee
Since 1997, the Indoor Environmental Quality Committee has recognized a peer reviewed article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. This year’s recipients are Darpan Das, Kelsey R. Babik, Emma Moynihan, and Gurumurthy Ramachandran for Experimental studies of particle removal and probability of COVID-19 infection in passenger railcars,” published in Volume 20, Number 1, 2 January 2023.
Birkner Leadership Award
Presented by the AIHA Leadership and Management Committee
The committee presents this award to honor the legacy of Ruth McIntyre-Birkner and Larry Birkner and is proudly awarded to an individual exemplifying extraordinaire leadership and management. The award was not presented this year.
Rachel Carson Award
Presented by the AIHA Environmental Issues Committee
The committee awards this honor in recognition of their environmental advocacy in the spirit of Rachel Carson. This award is bestowed upon an environmental health and safety (EH&S) professional who has attained outstanding success and distinction in their environmental and industrial health and safety business, profession, or life's work. The award was not presented this year.
Chaffin Award
Presented by the AIHA Ergonomics Committee
By encouraging conference participation and recognizing excellence in the field of ergonomics, the committee presents the Chaffin Award to the best ergonomic-related technical session at AIHce EXP. Established in 2008, the award honors Dr. Donald B. Chaffin’s many contributions to the field of ergonomics and to AIHA. The award was not presented this year.
Fellow Sig Mid-Year Award
Presented by the AIHA Fellow SIGs
The Fellows SIG awards this honor to an industrial hygienist with 10 to 25 years of industrial hygiene work experience who exhibits outstanding leadership and/or technical capabilities, has worked as a volunteer for AIHA committees, project task forces and/or SIGs, and has exhibited a commitment to contribute to the industrial hygiene profession throughout their career. This year’s recipient is Chandra Deeds Gioiello, CIH.
Rochelle Crew Memorial Award
Presented by the AIHA Construction Committee
This award is given by the committee to honor the memory of Rochelle Crew, a long-time construction safety PDC presenter and former member of the committee. The award is given to the best construction-related paper, technical session, or PDC presentation at the previous year’s AIHce. This year’s recipient is Spencer Pizzani, CIH for Five Common Difficulties in Real Time Detection System Implementation.
H. Kenneth Dillon Memorial Award
Presented by the AIHA Biosafety and Environmental Microbiology Committee
This award is presented by the committee to honor the memory of Dr. Ken Dillon, a former AIHA Fellow, and the principal instructor for several years of the popular PDC, Prevention, Determination, and Remediation of Biological Contamination in Indoor Environments. Recipients for this award are chosen just prior to AIHA Connect—please support our students by attending the student poster session on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. (PT), Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Cannabis Industry Health and Safety Best Student Poster
Presented by the AIHA Cannabis Industry Health and Safety Committee
This award is presented by the committee as the best student poster at AIHce EXP that focuses on the OEHS aspects of this industry. Recipients for this award are chosen just prior to AIHA Connect—please support our students by attending the student poster session on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. (PT), Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Health and Safety Virtual Exhibit of the Year Award
Presented by the AIHA Museum and Cultural Heritage Industry Working Group
The Health and Safety Virtual Exhibit of the Year Award acknowledges the power of an instructive, visually appealing virtual exhibit to tell a story about occupational and environmental health and safety issues. Through this award, the working group seeks to encourage others to identify or develop other health and safety-related virtual exhibits. This year’s recipient is Stephen Sherry, PhD for the NLM Virtual Exhibit, This Lead is Killing Us: A History of Citizens Fighting Lead Poisoning in Their Communities, which highlights past and ongoing efforts to prevent lead exposure in workplaces, from take-home exposure, dumping, and lead pipes.
Donna Doganiero Award
Presented by the AIHA Safety Committee
The committee presents this award to the presenter of the best safety-related crossover technical session at AIHce EXP 2022. The award honors a truly outstanding individual whose achievements and vision continue to move the field of industrial hygiene and safety forward, Donna Doganiero, CIH, FAIHA. This year’s recipients are Charles Jenkins, CIH and Christopher Louis, PE, CSP, CHMM for the Severe Injury, Illness, and Fatality Prevention Model.
OEHS Career Professional Award—OEHS Career Champion Award
Presented by the AIHA Academic Advisory Group and the AIHA Student and Early Career Professionals Committee
This award is presented to an individual or individuals (up to 2) who have made significant contributions to OEHS, above and beyond their typical job responsibilities. This can include contributions in the area of student development, mentoring, or early career guidance. Nominees must have demonstrated a commitment to promoting the profession of OEHS, advancing the profession among students and early-career professionals, and/or providing guidance and mentorship to students or early-career professionals. The award was not presented this year.
John A. Leonowich Award
Presented by the AIHA Non-Ionizing Radiation Committee
This award is given by the committee for educational excellence in nonionizing radiation, honors students who are actively pursuing NIR initiatives through research or education, and recognizes the achievements made by current students in advancing both their and the profession’s understanding of nonionizing radiation. The award was not presented this year.
The Randy Ogle/Paul Baron Award
Presented by the AIHA Nano and Advanced Materials Working Group
This award is presented by the working group to recognize excellence in a peer-reviewed article, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (JOEH), which best advances knowledge and practice in our field. This award honors the work of Mr. Randy Ogle and Dr. Paul Baron who led the way in providing the management tools and the data that laid the groundwork for future generations of EHS professionals working in the field of Nano Technology and Advanced Materials. The award was not presented this year.
Margaret Samways Memorial Student Poster Award
Presented by the AIHA Communication and Training Methods Committee
This award honors the memory of Margaret Samways, past chair, and long-time member of the committee. The award will be given to the best student poster at AIHce EXP which focuses on communication and training methods. Recipients for this award are chosen just prior to AIHA Connect—please support our students by attending the student poster session on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. (PT), Greater Columbus Convention Center.
David L. Swift Memorial Award
Presented by the AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee
This award honors the memory of Dr. David L. Swift, for his outstanding contributions to aerosol and industrial hygiene research. Aerosol research papers published during the previous year in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene are reviewed by the committee. This years recipient is Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy, Ph.D, CIH, FAIHA for the article Validation of N95 respirator models for pressure drop and particle capture efficiency. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 20(9):390–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2023.2227658
Joselito Ignacio OEHS Emergency Preparedness and Response Award
Presented by the AIHA Incident Preparedness and Response Working Group
The working group will evaluate AIHce EXP educational sessions that are applicable to OEHS-related preparedness and response efforts. The scoring system will be based on presentation, applicability to emergency response, and originality. This year’s recipient is John Wagle for The Preparing for the Critical First Minutes of a Chemical Emergency.
Upton Sinclair Lecture Award
Presented by the AIHA Social Concerns Committee
The Upton Sinclair Memorial Lecture, Unintended Consequences: The Rubber Industry’s Toxic Legacy in Akron—Center for Public Integrity, will be delivered at AIHce EXP 2023. This lecture will be drawn from a three-part health series on the tire industry which was known as the Rubber Capital of the World. The award was not presented this year.
John M. White Award
Presented by the AIHA Respiratory Protection Committee
The John M. White Award was established by the committee to encourage scientific and application-oriented research in respiratory protection. respiratory protection. This year’s recipients are Margaret Sietsema, PhD, CIH, Hamed Hamza, PhD, and Lisa M. Brosseau, ScD,CIH for the study on Simulated workplace protection factor study of a quarter-facepiece elastomeric respirator.
Aileen Yankowski Outstanding Leader of the Year Award
Presented by the AIHA Women in IH (WIH) Committee
The Aileen Yankowski Outstanding Leader of the Year Award is awarded annually to an individual who, through volunteerism, supports the career development of professional women, promotes leadership skills, and disseminates critical information relevant to women working in industrial hygiene. This year’s recipient is Megan Canright Racicot, MPH, CIH.
Teen Workplace Health and Safety Committee Award
Presented by the AIHA Teen Workplace Health and Safety Committee
The committee recognizes significant contributions to achieving the Teen Workplace Health and Safety mission of empowering young workers to promote a culture of health and safety through education and the practice of health and safety fundamentals. The award was not presented this year.
The Dr. Oliver Johnson Professional Presentation Award
Presented by the AIHA Real-Time Detection Systems Committee
By encouraging conference participation and recognizing excellence in the field of real-time detection, the committee presents the Dr. Oliver Johnson Professional Presentation Award to the best real-time detection systems-related technical session at AIHce EXP. Established in 2022, the award honors Dr. Oliver Johnson’s many contributions, including the creation of the first Catalytic LEL Combustible Gas sensor to be used in the Combustible Gas Indicator. This year’s recipient is Spencer Pizzani, CIH for Five Common Difficulties in Real Time Detection System Implementation.
Dr. Jack Driscoll Best Real-Time Detection Student Poster Award
Presented by the AIHA Real-Time Detection Systems Committee
The Dr. Jack Driscoll Award will be given to the best student poster at AIHce that focuses on real-time detection. Dr. Jack Driscoll is known as the innovator in the development of a photoionization detector (PID) for gas chromatography. This years recipients are Nathan Chen, Seunghyeon Yang, and Jopnghwa Oh for the Hand-arm Vibration (HAV) in US Groundskeepers poster.
The Nancy Pearce and John Rekus Award
AIHA Confined Spaces Committee
Sponsored by the committee and in memory of Nancy Pearce and honoring John Rekus, this award will be presented to the best confined spaces-related technical session at AIHA Connect.
Lydia Renton Outstanding IAC Volunteer Award
Presented by the AIHA International Affairs Committee
This award is presented by the committee to recognize one of the committee’s past leaders in the form of an award and will encourage future leaders to perform at the highest levels, and will serve as a moral encouragement for protecting the health and safety of workers and our communities.
This year’s recipient is Marianne Levitsky, MES, CIH, ROH, FAIHA and Richard Hirsh, MPH, CIH, FAIHA.
Tishchauer Award
Presented by the AIHA Ergonomic Committee
This award is presented by the committee to recognize a student ergonomics presentation at AIHA Connect. The award was not presented this year.
AIHA Volunteer Group Project Team Excellence Awards 2024
The Project Team Excellence Awards Program presents up to five awards annually, recognizing project teams from various volunteer groups, task forces, and advisory groups, whose work enhances visibility across AIHA’s five strategic domains:
Community—Nurturing a diverse and inclusive professional community”
This year receipt is the International Affairs Committee — Under the leadership of:
Chair Maharshi P. Mehta, CIH, CSP, FAIHA; Vice Chair Kyle L. Naylor, CIH, CSP, AEMT; Secretary Armando L. Chamorro, CIH; Past Chair Laurence Svirchev, MA, BSc, CIH; Past Chair. Yellow Color Council.
Advancement and Dissemination of Knowledge—Exploring, developing, and disseminating cutting-edge educational, technical, and career resources”
This year receipt is the Museum and Cultural Heritage Industry Working Group— Under the leadership of:
Chair Ralph A. Froehlich, MS, CIH, CSP, QEP, FAIHA; Vice Chair Kelsey Babik; Secretary Brandy L. Howard, PE, CIH, CSP; Secretary-Elect Jessica Ricchio, MS; Past Chair Jeffrey R. Sotek, CIH, CSP, PE; R&D Officer Mark D. Wilson, PhD. Blue Color Council.
Awareness—Promoting the practice of occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS), increasing awareness of its value, and communicating AIHA’s mission, vision, and value proposition to attract new members"
This year receipt is the Leadership and Management Committee — Under the leadership of:
Chair Steven D. Jahn, MBA, CIH, FAIHA; Vice Chair Racio T. Carter; Secretary Victoria Fulimeni, CIH, CSP; Secretary-Elect Eltaneice V. Bolden, CIH, CHMM; Past Chair Celia Booth CIH, CSP. Violet Color Council
Integrity of Professional Practice— Identifying, developing, continuously improving, and promoting excellence
in occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) practices, implementing a continuous improvement strategy, and advancing competency in specialty areas through accreditation and proficiency programs"
This year receipt is the Improving Exposure Judgement Advisory Group — Under the leadership of:
Chair Kent A. Candee, MS, CIH, CSP, ARM, CPCU
Advocacy—Influencing actions of the public, government, and organizations, building awareness of the OEHS profession’s impact, and empowering AIHA members and the public to support public policy positions”
This year receipt is the IAQ Task Force— Under the leadership of:
Chair Martin Dehlinger
2023 Best Seller
This award is presented to the editor(s) of a new publication that sold the most copies during the year. The 2023 best seller is The Noise Manual, 6th edition.
Recipients: Deanna K. Meinke, PhD, CCC-A; Elliott H. Berger, MS, FAIHA; Richard L. Neitzel, PhD, CIH, FAIHA; Dennis P. Driscoll, PE, FAIHA; and Kathryn Bright, PhD
2023 Critic’s Choice Award
The Critic’s Choice Award honors a publication completed in 2023. The Content Portfolio Advisory Group (CPAG) evaluates all publications and selects one to recognize for their impact on the profession, originality, and quality of writing. This year’s publication is Case-Based Introduction to Modeling Occupational Inhalation Exposures to Chemicals..
Recipients: Chris Keil, PhD, CIH
AIHA Local Sections Awards
The James B. D’Arcy JOEH Original Article Award
Presented by the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society (MIHS)
This award is presented to the authors of an original article from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH). With the passing of long-time selection committee chair, Dr. Jim D’Arcy in June 2021, MIHS renamed the award the James B. D’Arcy JOEH Original Article Award. This year’s award is presented to the Benefits and Limitations of Field-Based Monitoring Approaches for Respirable Dust and Crystalline Silica Applied in a Sandstone Quarry; published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, volume 19, 2022, issue 12, pages 730-741, published online: 14 November 2022. This year’s recipients are Emanuele Cauda, PhD; Eric Dolan, CPS, CUSA; Andrew B. Cecala; Kyle Louk, BS, MS, PhD; Milan Yekich, AS, BS, MPH; Lauren Chubb, DrPH, CPH; and Andrew Lingenfelter