sPr/suM 2014 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND …deohs.washington.edu/sites/default/...Health-News-Spring-Summer-2… · Student Award Whether it’s through home visits, identifying

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Student-Led Research 1

2013–2014 Graduates 3

Graduation 4

Award Winners 5

Workers’ Memorial Day 6

New DEOHS Chair Michael Yost 7

Labs Study Their Own “Green”-ness 8

Michael Morgan Retires 9

People & Places 10

Upcoming Events 12

Our students lead research projects with the help and under the supervision of our faculty and staff. The following briefs, written by our undergraduate and graduate students, summarize the research they presented in May at the University of Washington Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, the School of Public Health’s first annual Undergraduate Symposium, or the department’s Student Research Day. DEOHS faculty and staff preceptors are in parentheses.

Master’s Degree stuDents

ant iox idant reduces D iese l exhaust e f fec tsGlutathione (GSH) in the lungs can attenuate oxidative damage from diesel exhaust particles even in GSH-deficient mice. Yet, the proteins responsible for transporting the antioxidant across extra- and intracellular lung membranes are not known. Eunmi Hwang (Environmental Toxicology) showed that a cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator was upregulated in GSH-deficient mice, suggesting that this protein is responsible for protecting the lungs in these mice. (Terrance Kavanagh)

Master’s degree

students (l to r)

Eunmi Hwang, Kristina

Blank, Christopher

Pyke, Rachel Wood,

and Stanley Kimball

presented their

research in May.

Photo: Sarah Fish

stuDent-LeD research

U N I V E R S I T Y O F W A S H I N G T O N n S C H O O L O F P U B L I C H E A L T H

O U R D E P A R T M E N T I S A B O U T … T R A I N I N G S T U D E N T S

D E P A R T M E N T O F E N V I R O N M E N T A L A N D O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H S C I E N C E S

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environmental health newsS P R / S U M 2 0 1 4

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new Method to Detect tBCurrent diagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) rely on sputum, which can be problematic to obtain, handle, and test. Rachel Wood (Environmental Health) validated a new method for detecting TB: the use of polymerase chain reaction on oral swab samples. She found that 90% of TB patients tested in this fashion yielded positive swabs. With further development, the method could become a low-cost alternative to detect TB and to estimate the prevalence of the disease in the population. (Gerard Cangelosi)

Miners and D iese l exhaust exposureIn order to assess the use of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) as a surrogate measure for diesel exhaust exposure, Christopher Pyke (Exposure Science) measured 1-NP and elemental carbon (EC) in an underground mine. He found 1-NP and EC to be correlated. Using 1-NP as a surrogate opens the possibility of using it as a bio-marker of diesel exhaust exposure. (Christopher Simpson)

Per-P iece Pay and heat -re la ted I l lnessAgricultural workers who are paid per “piece” may be more at risk of heat-related illness (HRI) than peers paid by the hour. HRI contributes to non-fatal and fatal injury. Using a survey of 100 agricultural workers in Washington state, Kristina Blank (Environmental & Occupational Health) found that farmworkers on piece rate contracts were more likely to overexert themselves and experience HRI symptoms. (June Spector)

Dust and Lung changes on ct scans Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly caused by smoking, but the disease has also been linked to occupational exposure to dust. Stanley Kimball (Occupational & Environmental Medicine) investigated evidence of COPD lung changes leading to emphysema and chronic bronchitis on computed tomography (CT) scans of current and past smokers in a Norwegian study. Dust exposure was determined

by the participants’ occupations. Kimball found dust exposure correlated with lung changes, and with emphy-sema, even at lower levels of exposure. (Sverre Vedal)

BacheLor’s Degree stuDents

Park inson ’s and Pest ic ide hand le rsPast research has linked some pesticide exposures to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Theresa Bordianu helped implement a pilot study examining 38 agricultural pesticide handlers, aged 35–65, for signs and symptoms of the disease. Signs and symptoms were uncommon and not associated with the number of years the handler had applied pesticides. (Susan Searles Nielsen, Christopher Simpson)

ant ib io t i c res is tance and ch i lean F ishIn recent years, many new tetracycline-resistant genes have been identified. Ella Kuchmiy investigated drug-resistant bacteria from a Chilean fish farm that had been previously studied in 2003 and found free of resistance genes that were known at the time. Kuchmiy found six of ten bacteria carried one of the new resistance genes, and three of these bacteria were in genera not known to carry the gene. (Marilyn C. Roberts)

Preservatives and Poliovirus samples Environmental surveillance—collecting wastewater samples—can help detect the circulation of poliovirus in a population. Transporting samples on ice to properly equipped laboratories can be costly; finding an equally effective but cheaper preservative is ideal. Kilala Barnes investigated alternatives and found that 0.1% calcium propionate, 2% sodium benzoate, and 0.02% o-phenyl-phenol to be the most effective. (Christa Fagnant, Scott Meschke)

Duwamish ra in2river P rogramPart of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group, the Rain2River (R2R) Program teaches

stuDent-LeD research (continued from page 1)

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Bachelor’s degree students: back row, l to r: Dalila

Zelkanovic, Theresa Bordianu, Ella Kuchmiy, Caroline

Heinen, Anna Quach, Amanda Burch; front row, l to r:

Kristen Slodysko, Kilala Barnes, Wafa Tafesh

Photo: Sarah Fish

autumn 2013Momoka Nakamura, BSGurpinder Singh, BSJennifer Singh, BS

Winter 2014Tania Busch-Isaksen, PhDCynthia Curl, PhDAnna Quach, BSCuong Vien, BS

spr ing 2014 Susan Azadi, BSKilala Barnes, BSKristina Blank, MSTheresa Bordianu, BSRyan Bowering, BSAmanda Burch, BSTessa Concepcion, BSCaroline Heinen, BSAmy Holler, BSAngela Hong, BSEunmi Hwang, MSJae Kim, BSStanley Kimball, MPHElla Kuchmiy, BSKristin Liu, BSMolly Mastel, BS Tyler Nicholas, MS

Foram Pandya, BSAngela Peterson, BSChristopher Pyke, MSScott Robinson, MPHNazila Shakibaei, MSReema Sikka, MPHWafa Tafesh, BSAndy Tang, BSChristopher Warner, MSTess Wilson, BSTroy Yi, BSDalila Zelkanovic, BS

summer 2014 Simrun Bhullar, BSMiriam Calkins, MSVeatasha Dorsey, MSClara Jung, MSClarita Lefthand, PhDHerakles Li, MPHSara Lien, MSVadim Motso, BSManisa Pornpeanvichanon, BSRebecca Ticknor, MS Melvin Torres, MSNicole Van Abel, PhDSusanna Wegner, PhDRachel Wood, MS Deeqa Yunis, BS

2013–2014 GRADUATES

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community members how urban runoff can negatively impact the Duwamish River and con-nects them to available solutions. Amanda Burch, Angie Hong, Anna Mines, Anna Quach, and Wafa Tafesh led R2R Walks in the West Seattle, Bea-con Hill, and Mt. Baker neighborhoods, showing participants the “gray” storm water and “green” infrastructure projects, such as rain gardens and cisterns. (Charles Treser)

Moni to r ing she l l f i sh Bacter iaAs part of an internship at the state’s Department of Health Office of Shellfish and Water Protection, Dalila Zelkanovic participated in an intensive summer surveillance program of Vibrio parahae-molyticus, a bacteria found in Washington’s water and shellfish. The program serves to protect the public from the foodborne illness, vibriosis, caused by the bacteria. Because Washington is a leading exporter of shellfish, this program is crucial to public health measures. (Charles Treser) n

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GRADUATING

STUDENTS FROM

OUR DEPARTMENT

WERE RECOGNIZED

IN A CEREMONY

ON JUNE 13 , 2014 .

Photos: Sarah Fish

above: Students receiving their BS degrees.

below: Angela Peterson

presents the inspiring

message on top of her

mortarboard.

left: Robert Duff (MS, Toxicology 1993) was the

keynote speaker.

left: Students

receiving their

MS, MPH, and

PhD degrees.

Read about the ceremony at http://deohs.washington.edu/environmental-health-news/spring-summer-2014

WEBplus*

above: Senior Lecturer

Martin Cohen received

the Outstanding Faculty

Mentor Award.

right: PhD

candidate Susanna

Wegner gave the

graduate program

address.

2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4 D E O H S

graduation

below: Graduate Program Manager Rory Murphy

and Professor Richard Fenske.

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Nicola Beck, DEOHS Distinguished Staff AwardResearch Scientist Nicola Beck manages the Environmental and Occupational Health Microbiology Lab under Professor Scott Meschke. One of the nominations described Beck as “the heart of the Meschke Lab. She makes everyone feel welcome and glad to be there.”

Kristina Blank, DEOHS Outstanding Master’s Student AwardAn MPH student in Environmental and Occupational Health, Kristina Blank studied the relationship between heat-related illness and how agricultural workers are paid, with implica-tions for heat-related illness prevention policies in the work-place and for the state.

Tania Busch-Isaksen, DEOHS Outstanding Doctoral Student AwardTania Busch-Isaksen has made important contributions to climate change policies and to undergraduate education. For her PhD dissertation, Busch-Isaksen investigated the heat–health impacts from climate change in the Pacific Northwest. She collaborated closely with the UW teams involved and communicated results to state and local health officials.

Jonathan Childers, Gilbert S. Omenn Award for Academic Excellence (master’s student category)Jonathan Childers is the first student to pursue dual degrees— a PhD/MPH—in the College of Built Environments and in our department. He worked on a Health Impact Assessment of the Duwamish River Cleanup. His research focused on two potential impacts of the cleanup—revitalization and gentrifica-tion of nearby neighborhoods, primarily affecting low-income and minority communities.

Martin Cohen, DEOHS Outstanding Faculty MentorSenior Lecturer Martin Cohen directs the Field Research & Consultation Group in addition to teaching and advising.

Graduate students who nominated Cohen for the award cited his flexibility in finding time to meet with them, easy-going nature, willingness to respond to student questions, and ability to provide useful resources.

Ella Kuchmiy, 2014 Jack Hatlen Scholar Ella Kuchmiy is a first-generation university student whose parents emigrated from the Ukraine. The committee members were very impressed by Kuchmiy’s achievements both inside and outside the classroom. She plans to go to medical school and earn a master’s degree in public health.

Trevor Peckham, SPH Outstanding Teaching AssistantTrevor Peckham was recognized for his outstanding contri-bution to Professor John Kissel’s course, Environmental and Occupational Health. Students from the School of Public Health selected him as the teaching assistant who excels in facilitating student learning, demonstrates excellent teaching abilities, and provides important administrative assistance.

Rosie Schaffer, SPH Community Service by Staff AwardRosie Schaffer manages program operations for the DEOHS Environmental Health Laboratory. Outside of work she is assigned, along with her husband, as Lead Ham Radio Operator for the city of Lake Forest Park to provide essential communications during an emergency or disaster.

Tess Wilson, DEOHS Outstanding Undergraduate Student AwardWhether it’s through home visits, identifying groundwater hazards, or her work as a massage therapist, Tess Wilson is engaged in protecting and promoting the health of her community. She earned a 3.73 cumulative grade point average and made the Dean’s List every quarter, while working full- time as a massage therapist. n

2 0 1 4

award winners

Award winners, back row (l to r):

Jonathan Childers, Trevor Peckham,

Rosie Schaffer; front row (l to r):

Nicola Beck, Kristina Blank,

Tess Wilson, Tania Busch-Isaksen.

Photo: Elizabeth Sharpe

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With help from staff member Nancy Simcox, students organized a Workers’ Memorial Day event on April 25 at the University of Washington to honor those who died in 2013 from work-related injuries or illnesses. The students included: Margaret Hughes, Jacqueline Garrick, Veatasha Dorsey, Eddie Kasner, Jacki Coburn, Grace Liao, Karen Michael, Tyler Nicholas, Brittany Weldon, and Jane Pouzou.

Michael Silverstein, clinical professor of occupational and environmental medicine, gave the keynote address. Silverstein is a former director of policy for the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and a former director of the Washington State OSHA program. The following are excerpts from his address.

W O R K E R S ’ M E M O R I A L D A Y

keynote address

show up on any of the lists. They died from asthma, emphy-sema, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancer, and their deaths were never connected to the workplace.

Unfortunately, we can’t identify these victims by name and add them to those whose memories we invoke today. But we can grasp the true magnitude of the problem because scientific studies done in institutions like this one provide compelling evidence that a worker dies from a workplace injury or illness every eight minutes: 60,000 a year, 180 every day.

Consider that number for a second…180 deaths a day is the equivalent of an airliner crashing in the ocean every day. But we don’t act like it, and it’s not front-page news for weeks at a time.

It is a sad and disturbing fact that we have a national blind spot when it comes to worker safety and health.

There are many reasons for this, including that work-place deaths usually happen one at a time, hidden behind factory walls or construction gates as well as the persistent myth that workers who die must have been careless.

Our vocabulary and symbols need to convey the idea that work is a contribution to our collective identity, that work is an expression of our national values, that an injury at work breaks the American promise of a fair reward for a hard day’s work, and that workplace injury is a violation of a revered trust.

I believe, and I hope you share the belief, that we have the strength to move ahead, despite our grief and despite the obstacles in our way. Loss gives purpose, and purpose gives courage, and courage gives hope.

Visit http://deohs.washington.edu/2014-wmd-keynote.pdf to read the full speech. n

Phot

o: S

arah

Fish

As we are gathered here this morning, I ask you to accept two challenges: remembering and not forgetting. They are similar but not the same. “Remembering” is for today. “Not forgetting” is for tomorrow.

Today, we remember those who died on the job in 2013. The task tomorrow is not to forget, and that is an act of determination—the determination to draw triumph out of tragedy by understanding that these deaths were preventable—and that only through action can we make workplaces safe and healthy for all workers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was adopted with very high expectations. Since that time, we have made progress in making workplaces safer and protecting workers. Yet nearly 45 years after Congress assured “so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions,” OSHA reports roughly 6000 workplace deaths every year, or 17 every day, and [Washington Department of Labor & Industries] L&I reports that there were 64 work-place deaths, or one every six days, here in the state of Washington in 2013.

Those numbers tell us we still have a long way to go, considering that these deaths could have been prevented—prevented by machine guarding, fall protection equipment, ventilation and respirators, and attention to hundreds of other details of inherently safer job design and operation.

Less recognized and reported is that for every one of these [deaths]: for every worker who fell from a cell tower, who was engulfed in a trench collapse, who was burned in a fire, who was crushed in a power press; for every one of these deaths, there were 9 or 10 more who died as a result of exposure to workplace hazards, but whose names don’t

Michael Silverstein delivered the keynote

address at Workers’ Memorial Day.

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Michael Silverstein delivered the keynote

address at Workers’ Memorial Day.

Dean Howard Frumkin named Professor Michael Yost the new Chair of the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS), effective August 18, 2014. Professor Yost will succeed Professor David Kalman, who has been Chair for 16 years. As Chair, Yost will be responsible for the department’s educational, administrative, and financial affairs.

“He brings vision for the field of environmental health, a deep commitment to the department and to our school, clear ideas of how to bring people together to move the department forward, and a great sense of humor. He will be a wonderful Chair,” said Dean Frumkin.

A member of the DEOHS faculty since 1993, Yost progressed from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and, in 2003, to Professor. From 1997–2012, he directed DEOHS’s Exposure Science Program. Since 2012, he has served as Associate Chair of the department. He was named outstanding graduate mentor by DEOHS students in 2010 and 2013.

Yost received his PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on developing novel tools for environmental and occupational exposure assessment. He holds eight patents on products and processes.

His Optical Remote Sensing Laboratory invents sampling techniques using electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light, or lasers, to identify and measure environmental pollution. The technology has been applied to monitor pollution from car, train, and marine traffic, to measure pesti-cide drift, and also to detect hazardous and concealed materials. His interests, however, extend beyond exposure assessment. He has made important contri-butions in such areas as impacts of climate change and nanotechnology on human health.

“This is an exciting time in environmental health research,” said Yost. “We have moved beyond address-ing individual hazards to take a more systems-level approach. This approach provides a more integrated view of how environmental agents impact human health and gives us a greater array of solutions. It

O U R D E P A R T M E N T ’ S N E W C H A I R

michael yost

allows us to combine fundamental research, exposure science, and translational science to prevent adverse health consequences from environmental exposures. I believe DEOHS—with its multidisciplinary faculty—is well-positioned to develop effective educational and policy tools to address some of the bigger challenges, such as environmental change, workplace illness and injuries, global workplace health disparities, the aging workforce, obesity and nutrition, and improving our built environment.”

Said outgoing Chair David Kalman, “I am per-sonally, as well as on behalf of our department, very gratified by this outcome to our highly competitive national search. Some of the outstanding leaders in our field were considered as candidates, and Mike Yost clearly belongs in that group. Mike has shown out-standing creativity and sustained accomplishment in a variety of project areas. He is truly a renaissance man in working across the range of topics and approaches within environmental health.”

Kalman, who will resume his faculty role in DEOHS, adds, “His leadership, both scientific and organizational, has been outstanding. Mike chaired the School’s Faculty Council during a transitional period and has a strong record of collegiality and innovation. I look forward to DEOHS achieving even greater success in the coming years under his leadership.” n

Phot

o: M

ary L

evin

Michael Yost

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Our department has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement—protecting the environment, prioritizing community members’ health, and using environmental-health knowledge to bring about change.

The department’s focus has turned inward as its 20 laboratories assess whether they can make their processes more sustainable without compromising their science.

With a Green Seed Fund grant from the UW’s Office of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability, the department will strive to adopt the tools and sustainability metrics of the UW Green Laboratory Certification Program.

Across the country, labs require four-to-six times more energy per square foot than an office and generate more than 1,100 square miles of non-recycled plastic waste.

“Following green lab practices is a philosophy and process as much as it is a set of specific actions that labs should be trying to implement,” said David Kalman, professor and chair of our department. “Assessing our own situation is a good starting point, but only a starting point.

labs study their own “green”-nessDepartment looks to cut waste, reduce energy consumption, and use less toxic chemicals

I hope this will be the beginning of an ongoing cycle of assessment and improvement.”

Jennifer Krenz, a research scientist and manager for our department’s initiative, said later stages will identify where energy consumption can be lowered, bulk purchasing can reduce waste, and safer chemicals can be substituted for more toxic ones.

The effort faces several challenges, Krenz said. For instance, grant-funded research often restricts scientists from sharing resources across projects. Also, the labs are broadly diverse, from exposure assessment to ecogenetics. Each has specific protocols and standard procedures. Changes in protocol could disrupt research.

Krenz is optimistic that labs across the department, once they start sharing information, can find ways to shift procedures onto a more sustainable path.

“This is an important area for our department to be working in,” she said, “given our other leadership in promoting sustainability.” n

Photo: Sarah Fish

Nick Potter, a scientist in our Environmental Health Laboratory, tests the insides of a pair of farm work boots

to discern whether pesticides are present. The EH Lab is among the labs participating in the green labs study.

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Department looks to cut waste, reduce energy consumption, and use less toxic chemicals

A F A V O R I T E A M O N G S T U D E N T S R E T I R E S

michael morgan

Michael Morgan was honored at his retirement

party. Photo: Elizabeth Sharpe

Morgan joined the department in 1974. He had

earned a Doctor of Science (ScD) degree in chemical

engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology and completed postdoctoral training in

respiratory physiology at the Harvard School of Public

Health.

Morgan’s research focused on the effects of air

contaminants, including combustion products and

volatile solvents, and it was his research among

others in the department that contributed to federal

and regional air pollution policies.

Morgan was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of

Occupational and Environmental Hygiene from 2003

until 2010. He chaired the Biological Exposure

Indices Committee of the American Conference of

Industrial Hygienists, a professional association that

recognized Morgan in 2008 with the Meritorious

Achievement Award, given to a member who has made

outstanding, long-term contributions to the

field of occupational health and industrial hygiene.

From 1998 to 2003, Morgan directed the North-

west Center for Occupational Health and Safety, an

Education and Research Center funded by the National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

In retirement, Morgan plans to spend time

woodworking, perfecting his golf game, and in Baha,

California, bettering his Spanish. n

Current and former students were among the well-wishers at Professor Michael Morgan’s retirement party on May 21, 2014. Many spoke of the positive influence Morgan had on their academic experience and their careers.

“Mike was hands-down the best teacher,” said Stephen Hurley (MSPH, Industrial Hygiene & Safety, 1982), who is now a senior manager in environmental health and safety and sustainability at Amgen. Hurley still remembers how well Morgan explained the complex pathways in the respiratory system. “He did it from an engineering point of view to non-engineering students. He put it in a way we could grasp.”

Hurley’s high opinion is shared by many. In 2000, Morgan was named the outstanding teacher in the UW School of Public Health.

Jain Rutherford (MSPH, Environmental Health Technology, 1981) said Morgan helped all the students, regardless of whether he was their research advisor. Rutherford—who is now a safety and health administrator at King County—remembered him not being much older than her cohort at the time, but his knowledge, experience, and characteristic white hair set him apart.

“He’s so approachable,” said Illa Gilbert-Jones (MS, Toxi-cology, 1987), one of many students with whom Morgan stays in contact. She is a program manager and field investigator for the Oregon Occupational Fatality Assessment and Control Program.

Current graduate student Veatasha Dorsey said Morgan is willing to talk no matter the subject. At the retirement party, she thanked Morgan, “for inspiring me in my life and inspiring me to be a better person.”

Perhaps most telling is the influence of one teacher on another.

Bruce Millies (MS, Industrial Hygiene and Safety, 1986) had been practicing law when a conversation with Morgan led him to what is now called the Exposure Science program in the depart-ment. In Millies’ second year, Morgan talked him into being a teaching assistant for a lab course. “It completely changed my life,” said Millies. After Millies earned his master’s degree, Morgan helped him get an instructor position. That led to a stint at a state university in New York, and now he is an affiliate assistant professor in our department and teaches occupational safety and health continuing education courses.

Speaking to the students who celebrated with him in May, Morgan said: “You all represent 40 years. It was a rewarding time.” n

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Graduate student Jonathan Nagata led a team

from DEOHS at the Paws-on Science Husky

Weekend at the Pacific Science Center, April

4–6. The Environmental Health booth featured

hands-on educational activities for kids. During

the past four years of Paws-on Science, more

than 1100 UW scientists have shared their work

through hands-on activities with close to 47,000

adults and children. Photo: Elizabeth Sharpe

D E O H S

table on Pesticides and Health: Ethical Implications for Genetic Testing in the Workplace at the UW Genome Sciences Education Outreach annual Science and Engineering Festival in Yakima on March 25–26. Among the participants were high school and community college students, farmworkers, orchardists, and families who live near orchards and fields.

DEOHS students volunteered on April 12 at locations throughout Seattle that benefit Food Lifeline, Earth Corps, and UW, as part of the School of Public Health Day of Service.

Faculty Martin Cohen and Richard Gleason and Research Industrial Hygienist Gerry Croteau were instructors in the Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review, April 28 to May 2, at the University in British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. The courses covered industrial hygiene topics and helped students prepare for the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and the Canadian Registration Board for Occupa-tional Hygienists certification exams. The Northwest Center for Occupational Health & Safety helped organize the course.

Undergraduates, along with

faculty member Charles Treser,

participated in the Washington

State Environmental Health

Association’s annual

Educational Conference,

held May 12–13 in

Grand Mound, WA.

Photo: Vadim Motso

Department faculty, staff, students, and alumni are highlighted.

In July, Julia Yue Cui joined the department from the Uni-versity of Kansas as an assistant professor of environmental toxicology. Other new appointments: Katherine Sprugel— affiliate professor, and James Meador—affiliate professor.

Dean of the School of Public Health and Professor Howard Frumkin was recognized by the American Institute of Archi-tects in Seattle with Honorary Membership for his leadership in fusing health, design, climate, and the built environment.

In March, our students presented posters at the Society of Toxicology annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. PhD student Chris Schaupp received third place for the Carl C. Smith Award given by the Mechanisms Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology. Schaupp’s research was titled “Potential role of carbonyl reductase 3 in doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity.”

Center for Ecogenetics & Environmental Health staff member Marilyn Hair and UW first-year student Jose Lopez hosted a

people & places

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Career Panel, pictured l to r: Chris Jacomme (MS, 2007); Steve Hurley (MSPH, 1982); Leah Tait (MS, 2011);

Jill Schulte (MPH, 2013); Christine Kim (MS, 2010); and Stephanie Wong (MS, 2010). Photo: Elizabeth Sharpe

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alumni newsChad Weldy (PhD, Environmental Toxicology, 2012) won the Paper of the Year Award from the Inhalation and Respiratory Toxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology for “In utero and early life exposure to diesel exhaust air pollution increases adult susceptibility to heart failure in mice.” Particle and Fibre Toxicology. 2013;10:59. Weldy is a senior fellow in the UW Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and will start medical school in the autumn.

Beginning April 1, Nicholas Reul (MPH, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012) became the associate medical director for occupational disease in the Office of the Medical Director at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Reul is also a clinical instructor in the UW Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine.

Ryan Wallace (MPH, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012), who graduated with a medical degree from the University of Washington, headed to Yale-New Haven Hospital for a residency.

Alumni shared their day-to-day jobs and their career paths with graduate students on May 15. These alumni work at Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries and Department of Ecology, Amgen, UW, and Boeing. Graduate students Kristina Blank and Jonathan Nagata moderated the career panel. n

In May, at the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses National Conference in Dallas, Texas, faculty member Butch de Castro organized and moderated a panel made up of representatives from Occupational Health Nursing professional associations and academic faculty from Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand. The panel discussed the history, evolution, and current state of Occupational Health Nursing training and practice in their countries as well as areas of priority regarding emergent work-related hazards and injury and illness in major industries.

On May 13, Professor Terrance Kavanagh and PhD student Megan Cartwright presented at the Public Health Café on nanotechnology and nanotoxicology. The event was sponsored

by the Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health. The previous month, Cartwright also presented on the perils and promises of nanotechnology, specifically carbon nanotubes, at Town Hall in Seattle as part of the Science Speaker Series.

Associate Professor Edmund Seto is working with a low-income, primarily Latino community in Imperial County, California, to measure air pollution exposures using a network of low-cost, real-time measuring devices. The project is a collaboration with community residents, Comité Cívico del Valle, and the California Environ- mental Health Tracking Program, and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. n

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© 2014 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington

ISSN number 1548-1875

d e p a r t m e n t c h a i r

David Kalman

m a n a g i n g e d i t o r

Elizabeth Sharpe

c o n t r i b u t i n g e d i t o r s

Janice Camp Adrienne Hidy

Cathy Schwartz

w r i t e r s Kathy Hall

Elizabeth Sharpe

g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r

Cathy Schwartz

p h o t o g r a p h e r Sarah Fish

w e b d e s i g n e r Letty Limbach

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U P C O M I N G

onlineF I N D U S

eventshttp://deohs.washington.edu/calendar

August 24–28 International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference UW Seattle campus

September 24, 1–3 pmFuture of Occupational Health Speaker Series Paul Schulte, “Well-Being—Integration with Occupational Health and Safety” 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Room 229 (Seattle, WA)

September 24–25 Washington Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Conference Spokane, WA

October 15–17 Northwest Occupational Health Conference Richland, Washington

November 1 Zoobiquity 2014 Conference Seattle, Washington