Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering has been selected by the McElhattan Foundation to receive an $88,000 grant to support graduate student research and the public dissemination of that research to make workplaces safer.
Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering faculty members Majed Zreiqat and Wanda Minnick coauthored the grant proposal.
Funding will be used to create a dedicated fund to support graduate student (PhD and MS) research, including hiring a dedicated technical publication specialist to help transforming doctoral dissertations (the research required of students to earn a doctoral degree) and master’s theses into peer-reviewed publications that would disseminate important workplace safety knowledge, and the establishment of a graduate fellowship fund to expand the visibility, impact, and dissemination of student research with focus on Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIF) prevention.
The Industrial Scientific Foundation was established in 1994 and, for many years, served as the charitable arm of Industrial Scientific Corporation, which was founded by K. E. McElhattan and his son, Kent McElhattan. It supported nonprofits at the local and national level.
When Industrial Scientific was sold in 2017, the Foundation began operating as the McElhattan Foundation. At that time, the board of directors defined the Foundation’s mission and vision, selected program areas in which to make strategic grants, and implemented a formal grant application process.
The McElhattan Foundation’s four program areas are ending death on the job, economic development in Knox and Franklin, out-of-school-time learning, and end-of-life planning and care.
“We are honored to have been selected for this funding from the McElhattan Foundation,” Zreiqat said. “By supporting the research being done by our students, particularly in SIF prevention, and helping this research to be more available to the public, we believe that we can be part of the McElhattan’s mission of creating workplaces free of hazards.”
“Our graduate students are doing extremely relevant and practical research, and doing it very well,” Minnick said. “Unfortunately, there’s a gap in getting this research published; approximately 75 percent of completed dissertations remain unpublished three years post-graduation. As a result, a substantial body of new knowledge, innovative methodologies, and industry-specific safety insights remains inaccessible to practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, representing a missed opportunity to strengthen national SIF prevention efforts,” she said.
The Graduate Fellowship Program has two components. The educational fellowship will provide direct financial support to graduate students to improve their ability to successfully complete their degrees—increasing the number of trained professionals entering the workforce.
The research fellowship component of the fund will provide targeted support for graduate students conducting dissertation and thesis research related to SIF prevention—including essential equipment, instrumentation, software, or data collection needs required for high-quality, applied SIF research. Funds may also be used to support travel for presenting research at local, national, or international conferences and roundtables.
“The funding from the McElhattan Foundation for the technical publication specialist and graduate fellowship fund program will address that gap, helping students to complete their research and providing the knowledge that companies need to create safer workplaces,” Minnick said.
“IUP’s Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering is committed to student success, including helping our students in all possible ways to complete important research that leads to safer workplaces throughout the Commonwealth and the nation,” Department Chair Tracey Cekada said. “I congratulate Dr. Zreiqat and Dr. Minnick for their success in securing this important and prestigious grant and join them in thanking the McElhattan Foundation for its generosity and focus on workplace safety.”
Financial support for students from the graduate fellowship program will be available starting in the fall 2026 semester; the technical publication specialist also is expected to be in place for the fall 2026 semester.
About IUP’s Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering
Nationally recognized for excellence in safety education and workforce preparation, in January 2025, the department’s Safety Sciences programs were ranked first in Pennsylvania and second nationally by Universities.com, reflecting the program’s strong academic quality, applied learning approach, and consistent success in preparing industry-ready professionals. With approximately 300 students (170 to 190 undergraduates, 35 to 40 master’s students, and 60 to 70 doctoral students), the department maintains the capacity to support a diverse pipeline of future safety leaders.
Collectively, these programs contribute to a highly skilled safety workforce across diverse industries, including, but not limited to, manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, healthcare, and government sectors. The department’s strong reputation, experienced faculty, and focus on applied research position IUP as a critical contributor to advancing safety science and addressing national workforce shortages in occupational safety and health.
IUP’s graduate programs are structured to meet emerging workforce and research needs in occupational safety, health, and environmental protection. The master of science in safety sciences degree is a Board of Certified Safety Professionals Qualified Academic Program, ensuring alignment with nationally validated professional competencies. The program includes a thesis option that supports student research development and provides a clear pathway into the doctoral program. Students in IUP’s master’s program also have the option to do their master’s degree en route to IUP’s doctoral program, strengthening continuity in graduate training and expanding opportunities for advanced applied research.
The IUP PhD in Safety Sciences is a unique hybrid program that integrates distance education with an intensive summer in-person workshop. This design effectively serves working professionals, enabling them to apply newly acquired knowledge and analytical skills in real time to workplace challenges.
Unlike traditional, highly theoretical doctoral programs, IUP’s model prioritizes the translation of research into practice, fostering a synergistic relationship between academic learning and on-the-job application. This approach strengthens professional development, expands students’ leadership and promotion potential, and ensures that the research conducted within the program directly addresses pressing industry and societal critical needs with the focus on preventing and mitigating work-related incidents, including serious injuries and fatalities.
In January, the Department received a $950,000 US Department of Labor OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grant to provide free safety training to small businesses in Pennsylvania. The grant will support training on critical workplace safety topics, including Hazard Communication, Lockout/Tagout, and Inhalation and Absorption Hazards, helping employers and workers improve safety practices and reduce occupational risks.
This funding is IUP’s second grant from the McElhattan Foundation. In fall 2021, IUP received a $50,000 planning grant for a project to expand educator diversity, “Diversity in Education through Expanding Partnerships” (Project DEEP). This project was a collaboration between IUP, the Community College of Allegheny County, and a Pittsburgh parent group.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.