Four undergraduate student teams from the IUP Safety Sciences Department (selected from a number of teams wishing to participate in the competition) were provided with an accident scenario to review (i.e., an unfortunate explosion in a confined space tower where eight workers died). In order to gather information and to identify the root causes of the accident, these teams then conducted mock accident investigations with representatives from Alcoa and IUP, who acted with determining various roles associated with the scenario. Then the teams generated a written accident investigation report and gave a presentation to a panel of judges on their conclusions as to what caused the accident. These activities were conducted from March through May of 2013.

Judges for the compeition were Joe Progar, Jamie Mackay, and Nadene Yandrick from Alcoa, and Jan Wachter (who coordinated the event) from the IUP Safety Sciences Department.

Other IUP student teams that participated in the event were: Caroline Billon, Elliot Laratonda, and Dan Cavanaugh; Nathan Bosco and Nicole Laskoski; and Aaron Sulava, Jeff Fyock, and Brad Balencic. It was a very close competition. All the teams performed superbly.

All students who participated in this competition received $500 each. The winners received an additional $500 each. Congratulations to everyone!

Cekada’s article on training a multigenerational workforce was published in the March 2012 issue of Professional Safety.

Cekada will receive her award at Safety 2013 in Las Vegas in June 2013.

Drinks and appetizers will be the responsibility of each individual. However, with each business card collected, you will have the chance to win IUP memorabilia.

We hope to see you in Las Vegas!

Safety Sciences 

• Group 1: Scholarship for diverse (under-represented people of color and women) freshman Safety Sscience students.
  The recipient is Saif Shareef ($2,000).
• Group 2: Scholarship for other (non-freshman) diverse (under-represented people of color and women) students currently enrolled in the Safety Sciences B.S. or M.S. program.
  Each recipient receives an award of $2,000: Ryan Grant, Tabitha Mantle, and Shannon Wright.
• Group 3: Scholarship for general population Safety Sciences sophomore-level students in the B.S. program.
  The recipient is Elliot Laratonda ($1,250).
• Group 4: Scholarship for general population Safety Sciences junior-level students in the B.S. program.
  Each recipient receives an award of $1,250: Christie DeVito, Justin Loll, Travis Kurtz, and Aaron Sulava.

The criteria for receiving these scholarships include academic performance, scholarship need, answering two essay questions, and being a representative of the targeted groups. Congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients, and thank you to Alcoa Campus Partnership for sponsoring these scholarship to promote Safety Sciences!

Interviews may be conducted the evening of the 10th from 6:00–9:00 p.m. and from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11. To attend the Safety Sciences Career Fair, a student must be currently enrolled in the B.S. or M.S. program or be a graduate of the IUP Safety Sciences Department.

If you are involved in recruiting for your organization and would like to attend our fair, click here to register.

The fair is a great opportunity to meet our students and showcase your organization. Students will be looking for spring/summer co-ops (sophomores and juniors) and internships (last-semester seniors); recent graduates will be seeking permanent employment.

If you have any questions about the fair, please contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017 or jolenec@iup.edu.

We hope you can attend!

Click here for more information about this temporary, full-time position to begin on July, 1, 2012.

Three undergraduate student teams from IUP’s Safety Sciences Department (selected from a number of teams wishing to participate in the competition) were provided with an accident scenario to review (e.g., an acid burn at a pickling facility). In order to gather additional information and to identify the root causes of the accident, these teams then conducted mock accident investigations with representatives from Alcoa and IUP, who acted various roles associated with the scenario. Then the teams generated a written accident investigation report and gave a presentation to a panel of judges on their conclusions as to what caused the accident. These activities spanned a period of two months.

Judges and participants for the competition were Joe Progar, Nadene Yandrick, Jamie Mackay, and Kenneth Grace, from Alcoa, and Jan Wachter (who coordinated the event) from IUP’s Safety Science Department.

We congratulate Nick and Charles on their well-deserved win, as well as all the other participants in the competition who performed admirably. Winners and participants received awards for competing in this event. Nick and Charles each received an award valued at $1,250.

The forum will take place at the Embassy Suites, located at 550 Cherrington Pkwy, Coraopolis, Pa. Additional information regarding the forum will be added in the coming months. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

The forum is full, and registrations are no longer being accepted.

Department of Safety Sciences

This change reflects the reality that most safety professionals perform health and environmental duties. This change also enhances the knowledge, skills, abilities, and job opportunities for our students. The new program builds on the current B.S. in Safety Sciences degree program. In addition to the current courses being taken, students will now take additional courses in safety, health and environmental communications, air and water pollution, industrial and environmental stressors, and ethics and professionalism. Also, some of the current courses are being updated to emphasize topics such as emergency management, process safety, and sustainability, which are increasingly relevant to the safety, health, and environmental profession. Other changes include providing students with more flexibility in choosing their business-related electives.

Incoming freshman for Fall 2012 will fall under the new program. Current students (e.g., sophomores, juniors, and seniors) can continue with their B.S. degree in Safety Sciences if they desire. Current freshmen are strongly encouraged to transition to the new program due to its increased breadth and relevancy.

Wanda Minnick successfully defended her Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies through the Department of Sociology on March 19, 2012.

Christopher Janicak, professor in the Safety Sciences Department, served as Minnick's dissertation advisor.

Minnick should be congratulated for her hard work and dedication over the last four years in pursuing her doctorate while being an instructor in the Safety Sciences Department.

Congratulations, Wanda, on a job well done!

Wachter will receive his award and honorarium at the ASSE Professional Development Conference in Denver, Colo., on Sunday, June 3, 2012.

The entire Safety Sciences Department would like to congratulate Dr. Wachter on this award!

If you can join us, we will meet at 5:00 p.m. Drinks are the responsibility of the individual. As always, we will have fabulous IUP memorabilia (hats, shirts, stickers, etc.) to give away.

We look forward to seeing you in Denver!

The distinction was received from Women in Safety Engineering, a common interest group of the American Society of Safety Engineers, as part of the ASSE’s 100th anniversary celebration.

“A good leader has to be a strong motivator,” Cekada said. “I lead by primarily trying to motivate my students to be the best they can be and to work above and beyond what is typically expected of them in the classroom.”

Cekada’s vision of her future in safety includes providing inspiration to those students she teaches so that they may aspire to be tomorrow’s safety leaders. She wants her students to strive to be strong leaders and to follow in the values and ethics that she has instilled in them. She hopes to contribute to the success of her students by teaching them today the significance of this and how it can impact them tomorrow.

The prices are as follows:

• T-shirt: $10
• Hoodie: $30
• Camo Hat: $15

If you do not attend classes on campus, you are still able to order; however, you will need to addd $5 to your order total to cover shipping. If ordering two or more hoodies, an additional $10 will be required.

Department of Safety Sciences

The forum will be held at the Embassy Suites, located on Cherrrington Parkway near the Pittsburgh Airport.

A registration form and additional information will follow.

Left to right: Lon Ferguson, Safety Sciences chair; Jeffrey Shockey, Alcoa Corporate safety director; David Werner, IUP interim president; Jeffrey Fyock, ASSE representative; Daniella Anna, Ladies of Safety representative

The winners in the various categories are:

Group 1

Scholarship for diverse (under-represented people of color and women) incoming freshman Safety Sciences students:

• Christie DeVito ($5,000)

Group 2

Scholarship for other (non-incoming freshman) diverse (under-represented people of color and women) students currently enrolled in the Safety Sciences B.S. or M.S. program:

• Megan Burkey ($2,500)
• Krista Gartland ($2,500)

Group 3

Scholarship for general population Safety Sciences sophomore-level students in the B.S. program:

• Justin Loll ($1,500)
• Aaron Sulava ($1,500)

Group 4

Scholarship for general population Safety Sciences junior-level students in the B.S. program:

• Richard Diantoniis ($1,500)
• Jason Brubaker ($1,500)

Again, congratulations to these well-deserving students from the faculty and staff of the IUP Safety Sciences Department.

The program, which will begin in Summer 2013, will consist of 42 credit hours of online and summer courses and the culminating dissertation.

Detailed program information is available now, and application instructions will be made available in the near future.

Any questions can be directed to Dr. Christopher Janicak, CSP, CEA, ARM, the Safety Sciences graduate coordinator, at cjanicak@iup.edu.

Employers, please join us on October 6 and 7, 2011, for our sixth annual fair at the Rustic Lodge in Indiana, Pa.

The fair will be on Thursday, October 6, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., followed by a dinner for the recruiters. Interviews can begin that evening and will be conducted all day on Friday, October 7. The fair is open only to students who are enrolled in the Safety Sciences curriculum, as well as Safety Sciences alumni.

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your organization to our students and faculty, as well as a great chance for you to interact with our students through conversations and interviews. If you are not expecting to have any open positions in the near future, the fair is still a great opportunity to familiarize our students with your organization and vice-versa. Last year, approximately one hundred students attended the fair looking for co-ops, internships, and full-time employment.

If you are interested in attending, please click here for the Safety Sciences Career Fair registration form.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Jolene Campbell at jolenec@iup.edu or 724-357-3017.

We are working hard to make this year’s fair the best ever. Please help us by attending!

The reception will be in the Columbus Rooms E-F of the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Hyatt Regency Hotel is located at East Wacker Street.

If you are attending the conference, please stop by the reception to renew old acquaintances! A cash bar will be available.

Department of Safety Sciences

The Safety Sciences Department would like to congratulate Dr. Jan Wachter for having his article “Ethics: The Absurd Yet Preferred Approach to Safety Management” published in the June 2011 edition of Professional Safety.

Dr. Wachter, CSP, CIH, CHMM, CQE, CRE, is an associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department at IUP. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Wachter was employed by Fortune 100 companies and the federal government as an environmental safety and health administrator and researcher.

As part of this competition, students reviewed preliminary accident information collected at the scene of the accident, and conducted mock interviews with managers and employees at the site (played by Alcoa representatives Jamie Mackay and Paul Robinson and IUP professor Jan Wachter).

After the mock interviews were conducted on April 5, 2011, the work teams delivered fully completed causal analysis and accident investigation forms for evaluation. These forms included a complete list of unsafe acts and conditions, a complete list of management system deficiencies related to the accident, and a list of preventive actions (that address the management system deficiencies) and corrective actions (that address the unsafe acts and conditions).

On April 29, 2011, the individual teams gave presentations covering their results. Judges for the competition were Ms. Jamie Mackie, Alcoa Manager, Sustainability and EHS Systems; and IUP Safety Sciences Department representatives Dr. Jan Wachter and Mr. Pat Yorio.

Two teams won the competition. One team consisted of Christina Deitman, Kurt Dinger, and Kiley Walker. The other team consisted of Brant Farmery, Michael Henry, and Jared McCullough. Each team member received $950 for participating in and winning the competition.

From left: Kurt Dinger, Kiley Walker, and Christina Deitman

From left: Brant Farmery, Jared McCullough, and Michael Henry

The Safety Sciences Department would like to congratulate everyone who took part in this educational and enjoyable activity.

The Fellow Honor is the Society’s most prestigious honor, recognizing a lifetime of commitment to worker safety and health. Each Fellow recipient has had a wealth of unique personal and professional achievements in the occupational safety and health profession. They are leaders in the occupational safety and health community.

The Safety Sciences Department would like to congratulate Mr. Gualardo on this distinguished award!

• Wade Baily: America Responds Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)
• Jamie Shockey: Liberty Mutual Scholarship ($4,500)
• Molly Dunn: Liberty Mutual Scholarship ($4,500)
• Andrew Glass: Linda and Brad Giles Scholarship ($1,500)
• Shane Ferguson: Pekron Consulting Scholarship ($2,500)

Students must be active ASSE student members in order to receive a scholarship.

For the past thirty-seven years, Greg has worked in or for every PPG business, and he is seen as an EHS stalwart by thousands of people around the world.

Greg was also a valuable member of the Safety Sciences Advisory Committee from 2000 to 2011. Greg’s ideas and recommendations were always met with the highest level of respect.

We wish Greg much happiness in his retirement!

Human performance improvement is an approach that can be used to anticipate and minimize human error during the performance of work. Human error has been associated with the majority of accidents and incidents occurring in the workplace.

The objective of this research activity is to develop a set of worker engagement tools that can be used by employees and work teams during work planning, work execution, and work review for anticipating, preventing, reducing, and detecting human errors, including identifying error-likely situations and latent errors attributable to organizational factors. A part of this investigation will look at relational tools designed to increase intrinsic worker motivation for effectively using these worker engagement tools.

Interviews will be conducted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2010. The Safety Sciences Career Fair is only open to students enrolled in the Safety Sciences curriculum.

If you are involved in recruiting for your organization and would like to attend our fair, please click here for the registration form.

The fair is a great opportunity to meet our students, as well as a great chance to showcase your organization. The students who attend the fair will be looking for spring/summer co-ops and internships. We will also have recent graduates attending the fair who will be looking for full-time employment.

If you have any questions about the fair, please contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017 or jolenec@iup.edu.

We hope you can attend and make this year’s fair the best ever!

Donations such as this continue to improve the quality of our labs, allowing students to get the hands-on experience they need to become confident, qualified professionals. Pictured here are Dr. Lon Ferguson, Safety Sciences chairperson, and William Mosier, DuPont.

The department has been awarded $14,150 for the project from the Defense Safety Oversight Council, representing a combined effort between the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center (USACRC) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to improve safety curriculum and training.

The award was a result of a collaborative proposal submission between the Department of Safety Sciences, chaired by Dr. Lon Ferguson, and the IUP Office of Workforce Education and Economic Development, led by Tracey Missien.

IUP’s proposal was subject to a competitive bid process among potential university programs. The proposal required that the benchmark standard for the curriculum review be aligned with institutions whose occupational safety and health degree programs are recognized as Qualified Academic Programs, since they are aligned with safety industry standards. IUP’s Safety Sciences degree programs meet this requirement.

Ferguson and Eric Nelson, an instructor in IUP’s Safety Sciences Department, will travel to Fort Rucker Army Base to work with officials from the USACRC and the USMC to review the current curriculum, meet with instructors and students, and tour various labs and facilities.

The ultimate goal of the project is for IUP professionals to offer recommendations on how best to expand and redesign the curriculum as a joint Department of Defense Safety curriculum that meets Qualified Academic Program standards, producing competent safety professionals for all services.

Ferguson and Nelson are certified safety professionals and are active in numerous safety professional organizations. Ferguson was awarded the William E. Tarrants Safety Educator of the Year award in 2002. Nelson is a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant.

The students, under the advisement of Dr. Tracey Cekada, worked very hard this year to win this award. A few examples of the projects they completed are a crosswalk safety survey, a safety training video for a local construction company, and bicycle safety training.

We are very proud of the students on their success and award. Congratulations!

Department of Safety Sciences

The IUP Department of Safety Sciences held its departmental commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2010.

Mr. Ken Nogan, a senior risk control consultant with PMA Companies (based out of Blue Bell, Pa.) was the guest speaker. Mr. Nogan specializes in providing customized safety management consulting services to corporations in Pittsburgh and the tri-state area.

Mr. Nogan is a requested speaker on safety and insurance topics, and resides in Butler with his family. Pictured with Mr. Nogan is Dr. Lon Ferguson, chairperson of Safety Sciences.

Enter your résumé here. Once posted, your résumé can be viewed by recruiters/companies who are interested in filling an open position within their organization. This board will take the place of the résumé book that was used in the department years ago. If you have any questions on using this feature, please contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017.

Mr. McClay’s term will run from July 1, 2010, to 2012.

The reception will take place on Monday, June 14, 2010, at the Sheraton Inner Harbor (which is connected to the convention center). Refreshments and a cash bar will be available from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Harborview I Ballroom of the Sheraton.

With the conference being so close to home, we are expecting a large number of alumni to attend. This is a great opportunity to network as well as connect with old classmates.

As always, fabulous IUP door prizes will be raffled off—be sure to bring a business card to register for the drawing! You can also stop by our booth, Number 3142, during the day.

We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore!

Once the position is posted and submitted, it is approved by the department secretary and will appear on the Safety Sciences website. Please follow these easy steps to get your posting on our website:

1. Go to the Safety Sciences Job Opportunities for Graduates webpage. (From the Safety Sciences home page, you can find a link in the right-hand column.)
2. Click the “Safety Sciences Job Opportunity” link.
3. Enter your position information on the form.
4. Submit your position information.

Donations are being made to the Brother’s Brother Foundation in Pittsburgh.

This program is designed to increase the skilled workforce in these fields at both the fundamental skills level and the advanced skills level. The program has a service obligation component, requiring recipients of the scholarship to be employed in a career position directly related to industrial health and safety, including mine safety, for a period of one year upon completion of the degree program.

The selected areas of study are

• mining and mineral engineering
• industrial engineering
• occupational safety and health technology/technician
• quality control technology/technician
• industrial safety technology/technician
• hazardous materials information systems technology/technician
• mining technology/technician
• occupational health and industrial hygiene

Scholarship recipients must begin such employment no more than six months after the completion of their degree program.

The two-year scholarships are available to master’s degree ($10,000/year), bachelor’s degree ($5,000/year), and associate degree ($2,500/year) students pursuing a course of study in specified fields leading to careers in industrial health and safety occupations.

Applications will be available in the Spring (March/April) on the U.S. Department of Education website: Erma Byrd Scholarship Program.

The IUP and the Western Pennsylvania chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers are hosting a conference, “Today’s Safety Professional,” to address some of these issues by bringing together experts to help facilitate the discussion. The conference is being held on Monday, March 22, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) Ohio Room.

For more information and to register for the conference, please call or e-mail either Dr. Tracey Cekada (724-357-3272 cekadat@iup.edu) or Pam Ferrante (412-414-4769 pam@jcsafety.com).

We hope you can attend!

Department of Safety Sciences

The Safety Sciences Department offers undergraduate and graduate-level (M.S.) degree programs in Safety Sciences, as well as an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate of recognition. Teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including the use of distance education technology, plus commitment to scholarly work and community service, are expected. There is a possibility of teaching at off-campus sites.

For a full description of the postion, please visit the Safety Sciences Employment webpage.

On Sunday, December 6, 2009, twenty-two undergraduate and fifteen graduate students were inducted into the Safety Sciences honor society, Rho Sigma Kappa (RSK). The event was held in the Susquehanna Room of the HUB and was attended by inductees and their families. Mr. Eric Nelson was the guest speaker.

Eligibility for RSK requires an undergraduate student to be enrolled in the Safety Sciences curriculum, to have completed 57 semester hours of which 15 must be Safety Sciences credit hours, and to have a minimum 3.0 GPA overall and a minimum 3.2 Safety Sciences GPA. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, character, and professional involvement. Graduate members must be enrolled in the Safety Sciences curriculum, have completed 12 semester hours, and have a minimum 3.5 GPA.

Congratulations to all the inductees!

On November 18, 2009, Safety Sciences Chairperson Dr. Lon Ferguson and Dr. Tracey Cekada, assistant professor, received recognition for the Alcoa Partnership Grant from Alcoa’s Corporate Health and Safety director, Mr. Jeff Shockey, and Alcoa’s EHS training manager, Ms. Jamie Mackay. President Tony Atwater also attended this reception.

The Alcoa Patrnership Program has two primary objectives. The first is to enhance student learning opportunities that provide hands-on exposure to industry that will help students succeed in the profession. This will be accomplished through a Strategic Analysis Project and through Student Field Trips. The second objective is to increase the pool of under-represented people of color and women into the Safety Sciences program and ultimately the profession through scholarships.

The department would like to congratulate both of these deserving young ladies on their award!

The list of companies participating to date are: Alcoa, Allegheny Energy, Allegheny Ludlum, Better Baked Foods, Chevron, Cocciardi & Associates, Inc., Concurrent Technologies, ConocoPhillips, Eastern Alliance Insurance, Eaton Electrical, Kokosing Construction, Marathon Petroleum, MC Dean, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and Ryder and Southland Industries.

Due to economic conditions, we realize you may not be looking for co-op students, interns, or full-time employees at this time. Please consider attending the fair regardless—it’s a great way to familiarize our students with your organization and vice-versa. The registration fee has been reduced this year as well to encourage attendance.

Registration Form 

If you have any questions, please contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017 or jolenec@iup.edu.

The keynote speaker will be a woman who is a leader in the safety field. There will also be breakout sessions with an array of topics that impact women as well as safety professionals.

At this time we are seeking sponsors to help defray the cost for this event. If you or your company would like to make a donation, please make a check payable to:

IUP ASSE Student Chapter
Attn: Dr. Tracey Cekada
1010 Oakland Ave., 125 Johnson Hall
Indiana, PA 15705

Additional information will be forthcoming; however, if you have any immediate questions, please contact Dr. Cekada at cekada@iup.edu (724-357-3272) or Pam Ferrante at pam@jcsafety.com (412-414-4769).

Department of Safety Sciences 

The room was filled to capacity with family and friends who have loved, supported, and encouraged these students over the years.

The Safety Sciences faculty and staff would like to take this opportunity to wish the 2009 graduating class a fond farewell as they pursue employment opportunities or further their education.

Pictured is Dr. Tracey Cekada and Dr. Lon Ferguson with graduate Amanda Smith.

Approximately 150 Safety Sciences students attend the fair, looking for co-ops, internships, and full-time employment. This is a great opportunity to familiarize our students with your organization and vice-versa. The $200 registration fee includes dinner the first day at the Rustic Lodge and breakfast the following morning at IUP. If you have not participated in the past, please consider attending.

We hope to see you there!

This award recognizes the volunteer spirit demonstrated by IUP Safety Sciences students who give their time and talents toward the betterment of the local Indiana community and society as a whole.

The ASSE student chapter is led by Dr. Tracey Cekada. Congratulations again to all the officers and students who make up this organization. Keep up the good work!

Dr. Tracey Cekada was named Outstanding Teacher for the College of Health and Human Services on April 28, 2009, at a breakfast held at the Rustic Lodge.

Dr. Cekada is a very caring professor who is always willing to go the extra mile for her students. In addition to being an excellent teacher, she is also the sponsor of the student chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Through this organization, Dr. Cekada brings many guest speakers to the Safety Sciences Department to inspire and challenge the students. Dr. Cekada leads by example and encourages her students to be involved not only in the university but also in their communities. She is shown here accepting her award from the dean of Health and Human Services, Dr. Carleen Zoni.

Dr. Laura Rhodes, associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department, participated in the sixth grade Career Day event at Baggaley Elementary School.

In the photo of Rhodes with several students, you can see the students were especially interested in the personal protective equipment! The students had a lot of fun while learning about all the opportunities available to someone with a Safety Sciences degree.

We hope you can be there to connect with former classmates and fellow safety professionals. As always, there will be food, a cash bar, and fabulous door prizes!

The presentations were then judged by representatives from Alcoa and Safety Sciences faculty members.  The winning group, consisting of Dane Mitcheson, Scott Davis, and Lesley Samsel, will receive a cash prize as well as a trip to the ASSE Safety 2009 conference in San Antonio, Texas.  Others who participated include Jake Stanisch, Jake Graham, Mike Morris, Tricia Whitesel, Andy Glass, and Tessa Minnick. 

The Safety Sciences Department would like to congratulate everyone who took part in this activity.

• CNA Foundation Scholarship: Katie Ferguson
• David Iden Memorial Safety Scholarship: Amanda Smith
• Linda and Brad Giles Scholarship: Michele Seger

Congratulations girls, keep up the good work!

Congratulations Matt, from the faculty and staff in the Safety Sciences Department!

The ceremony will last about an hour, after which time light refreshments will be served in the Susquehannan Room. This event is for students who graduated in December 2008 or who will be graduating in May or August 2009.

After completing his studies at IUP, Johnson earned a master’s degree in Safety Management at New York University. He was a vice president of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Casualty Insurance Company, working as a supervising safety engineer and loss prevention specialist around the time the Occupational Safety and Health Act passed in 1970.

According to Dr. Ferguson, IUP’s Safety Sciences chairman, the passage of that legislation, and the subsequent creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, created a demand for employees and administrators trained and skilled in inspecting and identifying workplace hazards, investigating workplace accidents, and providing safety training for employers and employees.

The creation of the two federal agencies also made grants available to schools to create safety sciences departments.

Bob McClay, a retired IUP Safety Sciences professor, said Johnson recognized both the coming need for safety sciences-trained professionals and the opportunity for IUP to develop a new department to provide the training.

Johnson, along with Dr. John Chellman and Dr. Elwood Sheeder, were instrumental in securing the $100,000 grant to help start the Safety Sciences program at IUP. Today, thirty-seven years after it was established, IUP’s Safety Sciences Department is one of only twelve accredited undergraduate programs in the nation. The IUP Safety Sciences Department now has two hundred undergraduate and seventy-five graduate students and is expected to launch a doctorate program in Safety Sciences this fall or next year.

The building that houses both the Safety Sciences Department and the Nursing Department was named after Johnson’s mother, Sally Bevan Johnson, who graduated from the university in 1921 when it was the Indiana Normal School.

David is survived by his wife, Audrey; his son, Ward, and his wife, Elaine, of Bryn Mawr; his daughter Lee, and her husband, Donald Faulconbridge, of Grove City; and four grandchildren.

The fair provides an opportunity for Safety Sciences students to meet with company representatives to learn more about their companies and to discuss career options. The students will also be trying to secure co-op and internship positions for both spring and summer, as well as full-time employment. The companies participating to date are: Alcoa, Allegheny Energy, Allegheny Ludlum, Chevron, Concurrent Technologies Corp., ConocoPhillips, Eastern Alliance Insurance, Kokosing Construction, Marathon Petroleum, MC Dean, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and Ryder.

We realize that, in this troubled economy, many companies are cutting back on expensive travel, so this year we are reducing our registration fee to $200. We hope this will enable a large number of companies to participate, which in turn will provide our students with a great opportunity.

Please download the Safety Sciences Career Fair Registration Form if you are interested in participating. The deadline to register is September 18, 2009.

If you have any questions, please contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017 or jolenec@iup.edu.

• David L. Johnson Family Safety Sciences Award: Christian Buggey
• Chevron Scholarship: Andrew Glass, Michele Seger, and Dane Mitcheson
• Alcoa Scholarship: Joseph Dejene, Mary Nguyen, Maria Avolio, Serah Kimani, Julia Harvey, Shane Ferguson, Lindsay Scatena, and Jamier (Frank) Benavidez

We wish these students continued success as they pursue their careers in the environmental health and safety profession. Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

Prior to arriving in Balikpapan, Justin visited Singapore for a few days in order to meet with EARL (East Asia Response Limited) to discuss its oil-spill response and support capabilities. EARL provides oil-spill response services for Chevron's locations throughout South Asia. While in Indonesia, the two-person team was also invited to complete a similar assessment of Chevron's geothermal power plants for the Global Power Generation Operation in Jakarta. 

In order to be afforded these types of opportunities, Justin encourages current Safety Sciences students to work hard. He said, "If you have a passion for your profession and work hard toward your goal, the opportunities are limitless."

He also encourages them to get involved and play an active role in the student organizations such as ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers) and RSK (Rho Sigma Kappa). Last but not least, Justin encourages students to get to know their professors and, in return, let them get to know you. They are a huge asset to your education and initial career development.

Alcoa Campus Partnership Program Scholarship: $10,00 to underrepresented individuals or women who are freshmen, $5,000 to anyone enrolled in the Safety Sciences B.S. program, (2) $1,500 to sophomores, (2) $1,500 to juniors

Chevron Scholarship: (3) $2,000

David L. Johnson Family Safety Sciences Award: $900

Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council Safety Scholarship: $5,000

Please stop in today to pick up your applications!

The Western Pennsylvania Chapter of ASSE has recognized the following IUP Safety Sciences students: From left, Amanda Smith, Lindsey Scatena, Katie Ferguson, Lindsey Toth, Brent Brewer, and Christopher Livengood. These students participated in the Kennywood Fall Protection tour, which took place in October 2008. As part of the tour, the students listened to speakers and saw demonstrations on fall protection and how it relates to the amusement park industry.

Andrew Glass, a current sophomore in the Safety Sciences Department, has won a $1,000 J.J. Keller Scholarship. Andrew is a dean’s list student and also a member of the student section of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). The department would like to congratulate Andrew on receiving this award! 

Alcoa; Allegheny Engery; Allegheny Ludlum; Amerisafe; Balfour Beatty Construction; Cabot Microelectronics; Chevron; ConAgra Foods; Conoco Phillips; CTC; Eastern Alliance Insurance Group; Eaton Corporation; General Electric; Goodyear; Kokosing Construction; Liberty Mutual; Lyondell; Marathon Oil; M.C. Dean; Ohio Casualty Insurance; PPG Industries, Inc.; PPL Services; Structural Group; Trinity Industries; Universal Well; United States Steel

As new companies register, the list will be updated.

The Safety Professional Handbook features seventy-nine chapters on topics that include management of safety engineering work, risk assessment, workers compensation, fire dynamics, and ergonomics. Ferguson’s chapter is on safety and health training, regulatory issues, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Janicak’s chapter is on how to measure safety performance. The chapter covers areas of safety performance data collection and analysis.

This year the fair will take place on October 15 and 16 in the Ohio Room of the Hadley Union Building. This is a great opportunity to familiarize our students with your organization, as well as an opportunity to interview potential co-op students, interns, and those seeking full-time employment.

To register, download the Registration Form (Word document, 28 KB).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jolene Campbell at 724-357-3017.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who attended the Safety Sciences Alumni Reception on Tuesday, June 10. It was great to see so many IUP alumni attending the conference and taking time out of their busy schedules to reminisce with fellow classmates. We hope to see you at Safety 2009 in San Antonio. Until then, stay safe!

Individuals may apply directly with BCSP. For additional details, please direct your former students to download the GSP Retroactivity Application Guide on the BCSP downloads web page at http://www.bcsp.org/bcsp/media/GSPretroactiveappgd.pdf.

Over the next few weeks we will be posting information on the BCSP website about the decision to continue the GSP retroactivity program, as well as updating our literature and application guide.  Currently the application materials available state the application deadline is December 31, 2007. Please note that this deadline date can be disregarded and all application materials should be sent directly to BCSP.

This award is the top professional recognition in the safety profession. Emory also serves on the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and is a certified safety professional (CSP) and certified industrial hygienist (CIH).

At the conclusion of the Fatality Prevention Forum we promised to post the PowerPoint presentations for each of the breakout sessions.  Click on the links below to go to the specific industry group presentation (if you are asked to enter a password when you try to save the presentation, simply click cancel and you will be able to save the presentation):

General Industry
Construction Industry
Chemical Industry
Utility Industry
Mining Industry
Transportation Industry