Jerry Lynch Memorial Scholarship

During a long and distinguished career, Jerry Lynch contributed many years of valuable service to the profession of industrial hygiene. Lynch served in a number of leadership roles, including serving as AIHA president, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygiene chair and an American Industrial Hygiene Foundation trustee. He was also a member of the International Association of Occupational Health and the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Lynch made contributions to the profession’s scientific knowledge base as well, publishing over 30 articles on air sampling, industrial ventilation, exposure analysis, and other industrial hygiene subjects. He authored the chapter on “Prevention and Mitigation of Accidental Chemical Releases” in the classic reference work, The Occupational Environment—Its Evaluation, Control, and Management. He also co-authored the Handbook of Health Hazard Control in the Chemical Process Industry (Wiley 1994).

Beginning his career in the U.S. Air Force as a sanitary and industrial hygiene engineer, Lynch later joined the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, ascending to the role of director of the division of physical sciences and engineering before leaving to join Exxon Chemical Company as a manager of industrial hygiene. Lynch retired from Exxon Chemical in 1996 as Senior Environmental Health Scientist. He attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning a bachelors degree. He also earned graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Lynch was a Certified Industrial Hygienist, a Certified Safety Professional, and a professional engineer.

In recognition of his lifetime achievements and contributions, Lynch received the AIHA Cummings Award, the Academy of Industrial Hygiene’s Smyth Award, the U.S. Public Health Service Commendation and Meritorious Service Medals, and the AIHA Fellow designation.