OSH News

Student accomplishments

Murray State OSH students awarded ASSP St. Louis Chapter scholarship

Murray State OSH students, Canon Adams, Jesse Adams, Judah Arnold, Asia Blanton, Ryan Potts, and Adam Rapp, were awarded a scholarship from the St. Louis Chapter of ASSP. The scholarship is awarded with the purpose of supporting full-time undergraduate or graduate studies leading directly to a career in a safety, health, environmental or closely related field.
-Posted December 2024

Murray State OSH students presented at TVS-AIHA Conference

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health graduate students, Christine Apio, Myat Thiri Maw, and Karena O’Bryan, presented at the Tennessee Valley Section of American Industrial Hygiene Association (TVS-AIHA) conference in Lenoir City, TN. Mollie presented on Parallel Particle Impactor Sampling, and Ryan presented on Heat Stress Sampling from an Internship Experience. Here’s a look at the presentations they shared with industry professionals.
Christine Apio: Ergonomics Risks and Challenges Specific to Nurses
Myat Thiri Maw: Enhancing Industrial Safety through Regulatory Compliance and Best Practices – Insights from a Multi-State EHS Internship Experience
Karena O’Bryan: Barriers to Adopting Inclusive PPE in the Workplace
-Posted November 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded 2024 BCSP Foundation scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Elli McIntyre and Aubrey Stubblefield, were awarded Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Foundation scholarships which are provided to Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) Qualified Academic Programs (QAP). 
-Posted November 2024

Murray State OSH students and faculty attend 25th Annual Pilot Research Project Symposium

Murray State OSH Faculty, Dr. Julie Boyd, Dr. Susan Miller, and Dr. David Wilbanks, along with OSH students, Jesse Adams, Tarandeep Kaur Arora, and Rachel Obeng, attended the 25th Annual Pilot Research Project Symposium which is part of the University of Cincinnati's NIOSH Education and Research Center (ERC). 
-Posted October 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded Chevron scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students Jesse Adams, Tanner Beverly, Ryan Potts, and Hannah Waller, were awarded the Chevron scholarship established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation).
-Posted October 2024

Murray State AIHA Student Section awarded AIHA's Student Local Section of the Year

The Murray State AIHA Student Section was awarded AIHA’s Student Local Section of the Year. As the winning recipient, the student section will receive a $1,000 monetary award to be used for student local section activities.
-Posted September 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded AIHA Foundation scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Ryan Potts and Karena O'Bryan, were awarded scholarships from the AIHA Foundation. Ryan received the SevenGen Advocacy for the Future scholarship and the Ralph Vernon Memorial scholarship, and Karena received the Liberty Mutual scholarship. Every year, the AIHF awards qualified students and young professionals with scholarships of varying types to help offset costs in their pursuit of a career in industrial hygiene.
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH students selected as NIOSH Trainees under the Murray State TPG Grant

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health graduate students, Asia Blanton, Karley Clark, Karena O'Bryan, Ryan Potts, Aubrey Stubblefield, and Hannah Waller, were selected as NIOSH Trainees under the Murray State Training Project Grant (TPG). As Trainees, they receive support through funding for tuition/fees and travel. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen the learning environment to prepare the next generation of leaders in OSH practice. This is accomplished by preparing graduate students who are well-trained to enter the workforce, ready to respond to both established risks, as well as new challenges brought on by the changing nature of work. 
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded Krissa "Sparky" Dudley scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Lauren Adkins, Tarandeep Arora, and Rebekka Walker, were awarded scholarships from the Krissa "Sparky" Dudley scholarship. The Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment was established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation) from her parents, George and Susan Dudley in memoriam of her can-do attitude and "fire in the belly" to make a difference in the world. The scholarship was created to assist students at Murray State University in obtaining an education to prepare them for a career in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Learn more about Krissa's story.
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded Barriere Construction Company Safety scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Chelsey Council and Corbin Templon, were awarded the Barriere Construction Safety scholarship established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation)
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH student awarded the L. Jack Dunman Memorial scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Jesse Adams, was awarded the L. Jack Dunman Memorial scholarship established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation) .
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded the Erie Insurance scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Nicoll London, Emily Reed, and Tristen Richards, were awarded the Erie Insurance scholarship established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation).
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded ASSP Middle Tennessee Chapter scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Jesse Adams and Elli McIntyre, were awarded scholarships from the Middle Tennessee Chapter of ASSP. 
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH student awarded AIST Globe-Trotters Member Chapter scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Karena O'Bryan, was awarded a scholarship from the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) Globe-Trotters Member Chapter. This award is intended to reward and attract talented and dedicated students and encourage them to pursue careers within the iron and steel industry.
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH student awarded NSC scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Asia Blanton, was awarded the Diversity in Safety scholarship from the National Safety Council (NSC) and has been invited to attend the NSC's National Awards Ceremony as scholarship recipient at the NSC Congress and Expo in Orlando, FL, in September 2024.
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH student awarded the 2024 Memorial James G. Neely scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, LeeAnn Richard, was awarded the 2024 Memorial James G. Neely scholarship. The Tennessee Safety and Health Conference offers this annual scholarship as a way to foster education in safety and health fields, and to maintain good relationships with universities and community colleges across the state. James G. “Jim” Neeley was a longtime Tennessee union leader who served as Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development under former Tennessee Governors, Phil Bredesen and Ray Blanton. Prior to his service as Commissioner, Neeley was president of the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council.
-Posted June 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded ASSP Foundation scholarships

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Canon Adams, Jesse Adams, Elli McIntyre, and Ryan Potts, were awarded scholarships from the ASSP Foundation. Since 1990, the ASSP Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in academic scholarships and professional education grants to occupational safety and health students and professionals working towards their educational goals. See a list of all ASSP Foundation scholarship recipients.
-Posted June 2024

Murray State ASSP Student Section placed 3rd in Outstanding Student Section Award competition

The Murray State ASSP Student Section received 3rd Place for the 2023-2024 Outstanding Student Section of the Year Award. Murray State University ASSP Student Section ranked third out of the 9 schools in scoring. The student section will receive a $500 stipend from the National ASSP Organization.
-Posted May 2024

Murray State OSH students awarded the Murray State ASSP Student Section Scholarship sponsored by the ASSP Purchase Area Chapter

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students were awarded scholarships from the Murray State ASSP Student Section sponsored by the Purchase Area Chapter of ASSP. Scholarship recipients include OSH students – Katie Winkenhofer, Elli McIntyre, and Jesse Adams. The Murray State ASSP Student Section scholarship sponsored by the Purchase Area Chapter of ASSP is awarded to deserving ASSP student section members each year by the Murray State ASSP faculty advisor, Dr. Julie Boyd, and student section officers.
-Posted May 2024

Murray State OSH students travel to London and Dublin on a Study Abroad trip

Dr. David Wilbanks led an OSH Study Abroad Trip in Winter 2023 to London and Dublin. He taught Exploring Risk Management Practices, allowing Murray State OSH students to gain learning experiences in London including Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms and Transportation museums; and in Dublin including Epic Irish Immigration Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, Croke Park Stadium and the Guinness Storehouse. These sites provided a great lens for viewing how risk has been faced, understood and acted upon, each providing vivid and real insights to risk management practices both past and present. Comparisons of United States, British and Irish practices were emphasized throughout.
-Posted January 2024

Murray State OSH student awarded Murray State AIHA Student Section scholarship

Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Tarandeep Arora, was awarded $500 in scholarship from the Murray State AIHA Student Section. A Murray State AIHA Student Section scholarship is awarded to a deserving AIHA student section member each semester. 
-Posted November 2023

 

 

Alumni accomplishments

Murray State OSH Alumna serves on Murray State's Alumni Association’s Board of Governors  

Pamela (Stocks) Butler, ’79, BS in Occupational Safety and Health; ’81, MS in Human Services Counseling; and ’84, Specialist Degree in College Teaching, Human Services Counseling, is a retired Army officer who serves on Murray State University Alumni Association’s Board of Governors as the Black Alumni Network Representative.
-Posted October 2024

Murray State OSH alumnus named one of NSC's Rising Stars of Safety

Murray State OSH alumnus, William Langford, was named as one of National Safety Council’s (NSC) 15th class of Rising Stars of Safety. This group consists of leaders aged 40 and younger dedicated to making workplaces safer. The 38 honorees for 2024 have promoted continuous safety improvement within their organizations and created initiatives focused on measurable outcomes to provide workforces safe environments. The class of 2024 honorees are featured in the September 2024 issue of Safety+Health magazine. 
-Posted September 2024

Murray State OSH alumnus appointed Chair of BCSP Foundation

Murray State OSH alumnus, Travis Kruse, Ph.D., MS, CSP, has been appointed Chair of the BCSP Foundation. Dr. Kruse is the Senior Director, Safety & Sustainability Solutions Strategy for W.W. Grainger Incorporated. He has over 22 years of experience in consulting, general industry, and sales leadership roles. He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health (ANSAC/ABET) Advisory Council Member, Semiconductor Environmental, Safety & Health Association (SESHA) Board Member, and an authorized instructor for the OSHA Training Institute (OTI). Dr. Kruse has a Ph.D. in Public Health from Oregon State University and a M.S. degree in Environmental Health and Safety from Murray State University and has published in the Journal of Safety Research. 
-Posted March 2024

OSH Alumna receives NSC Marion Martin Award

Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health alumna, Stephanie Miller, received the National Safety Council's Marion Martin Award. Launched in 2016, the Marion Martin Award annually celebrates the accomplishments of women in safety who have paved the way to success for other women in the profession.

Learn more about the award.
-Posted October 2023

OSH Alumna receives Murray State 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award

Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health alumna, Phyllis Childs ('98, '00) was the recipient of a Murray State 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. 

A Palm Beach County, Florida native, Childs earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication in 1998. She lettered in track and field all four years and was awarded MVP as a senior. She earned her master’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in 2000, and considers the greatest highlight of her Murray State experience to be meeting her husband of more than 20 years, Wendell Childs, ’01. They have three children, David, Wendell, Jr. and Darren Childs.

Childs currently serves as the safety group manager for the General Motors (GM) North America Customer Care and Aftersales Division based in Warren, Michigan, leading GM’s safety efforts for 26 sites across the division. Throughout her 23-year tenure with GM, Childs has served the company all over the country including stints in Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas, New York, Florida and Ohio.

According to Childs, her current role allows her to execute the full totality of skills and tools harnessed at Murray State. “Every day reflects the team-building experiences I learned in track and field and the communication skills I honed while excelling in Organizational Communication,” said Childs. “Even in failure, I learned at Murray State that the road to success is filled with failures, but that road is not filled with people who give up.”

Learn more about Phyllis and all of this year's Distinguished Alumni honorees
-Posted April 2023

The Murray State University Foundation, Inc. announces the Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment

The Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment was established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation) from her parents, George and Susan Dudley in memoriam of her can-do attitude and "fire in the belly" to make a difference in the world. The scholarship was created to assist students at Murray State University in obtaining an education to prepare them for a career in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Learn more about Krissa's story.
-Posted March 2023

Murray State OSH alumna appointed to FACOSH

Murray State OSH alumna, Jayme Hobson, '09, '10, was recently appointed to the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety & Health (FACOSH), a presidential advisory board to the United States Secretary of Labor. She was also featured in the Paducah Life Magazine for her accomplishments. Hobson serves FACOSH as a representative of TVA, where she has worked since 2021.   
-Posted March 2023

 

Faculty and department accomplishments

Murray State OSH faculty receives MSYou Matter Racers Care Mini Grant

Dr. Oluwabunmi Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, was awarded a MSYou Matter Racers Care Mini Grant. This grant will provide vital funding to OSHConnect, the mentoring program at OSH, which connects students with experienced mentors who offer guidance, support, and valuable insights.
-Posted December 2024

Murray State OSH faculty presents at ISOES conference

Dr. Susan Miller and Dr. Julie Boyd, assistant professors in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, presented at the 25th Annual Pilot Research Project Symposium, part of the University of Cincinnati's NIOSH Education and Research Center (ERC). They showcased a poster on their proposed research, which received a $6,000 NIOSH grant. Their project is titled "Utilizing Artificial Intelligence with Digital Human Modeling to Assess Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Non-Fireground Firefighter Activities."
-Posted October 2024

Murray State OSH faculty presents at ISOES conference

Dr. Julie Boyd, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, was invited to present Wearable Sensor Technology: Quantifying Ergonomic Risk within the Hemp Industry at the International Society Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES) Conference in Denver, CO, in August 2024.
-Posted August 2024

Murray State OSH faculty and alumnus presents at joint meeting of EASST and 4S in Amsterdam

Dr. Oluwabunmi Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, Dr. Ayorinde Ogunyiola in the Department of Political Science and Sociology, and Murray State Occupational Safety and Health alumnus, Justin Diehr, presented a paper on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Powered GIS for Proactive Disaster Resilience in a Changing Climate,  at the Quadrennial joint meeting of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Society of Social Studies of Science (4S) in Amsterdam, Netherlands in July 2024.
-Posted July 2024

Murray State OSH faculty receives grant funding to utilize AI with digital human modeling to assess risk of MSDs in non-fireground firefighter activities

Dr. Susan Miller, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, was awarded a $6,000 grant from a University of Cincinnati Pilot Research Project Proposal, Utilizing AI with Digital Human Modeling to Assess Risk of MSDs in Non-fireground Firefighter Activities.
-Posted July 2024

Murray State OSH faculty serves as SME on BCSP's CSP Exam Writing Panel

Dr. David Wilbanks, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, served as a subject matter expert (SME) on the Board of Certified Safety Professional’s (BCSP) Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Exam Writing Panel. SMEs from various locations worldwide contributed to BCSP's five-year revision cycle for its certification exams. This collective effort resulted in the approval of an impressive 170 items to update the CSP11 exam. Over the course of four days, they collaborated to craft and assess exam questions submitted by participants. These questions undergo rigorous scrutiny to ensure reliability and validity before being further reviewed by subsequent panels for inclusion in the certification exams. Their efforts are integral to keeping BCSP as the gold standard in safety certification. The CSP certification is the most recognized and sought general professional certification in North America.
-Posted June 2024

Murray State OSH faculty receives grant funding to address the growing concern of flash floods in the United States

Dr. Oluwabunmi Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, and Dr. Ayorinde Ogunyiola in the Department of Political Science and Sociology were approved for $10,000 in grant funding.

Titled “Strengthening Disaster Preparedness: Assessing Risk Perception and Early Warning Systems for Flash Flooding,” the project will address the growing concern of flash floods in the United States (with Kentucky as a case study) by drawing insights from sociology and disaster management. The proposed research will investigate how people in Mayfield, Kentucky, perceived and prepared for the devastating July 2023 flood. Using a mixed-method approach, the research will explore risk perception, early warning, and disaster preparedness. Findings from this study will have national significance, be useful in improving flash flood preparedness, and reduce negative impacts on vulnerable communities.
-Posted March 2024

Murray State OSH faculty receives 2024 Murray State University Alumni Association Emerging Scholar Award in STEM

Dr. Oluwabunmi Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, was awarded the 2024 Emerging Scholar Award in STEM by the Murray State Alumni Association.

The award gives special recognition for superior research, scholarly, or creative work conducted by Murray State University faculty members who are in the early phase of their careers, and who show professional promise. Each award is for $500, and each recipient name will be engraved on the Murray State Alumni Association Emerging Scholar Award plaque located in the Murray State University Alumni Center.
-Posted March 2024

 

 

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