Kevin Slates, a highly regarded scholar, educator and researcher in the occupational safety and health field and member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) for 14 years, is ASSP’s 2019 William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator.

Slates, Ed.D., M.P.A., B.S., CSP, is a clinical associate professor and program coordinator in the School of Public Health at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to securing external funding for safety program initiatives, Slates has been involved in curriculum revision and web-based course development, spearheading the online master’s in safety management program. He is also the founding director of the university’s industrial hygiene laboratory.

“His students have often commented on his positive teaching style, willingness to work with them, and his personal care for their benefit,” said Dr. Alfred Capuano, a professional colleague at Indiana University. “I consider his teaching and career counseling skills to be among the very best.”

Slates has led his students to earn the ASSP Outstanding Student Section of the Year Award in two of the last three years. He also has been dedicated to research, publishing scholarly articles and disseminating his work at state and national conferences. He has served on numerous grant and editorial review boards, and is the administrator of ASSP’s Blacks in Safety Excellence Common Interest Group.

Slates’ commitment to students who are pursuing safety careers is demonstrated by the number of ways he assists them, even after they graduate.

“A few years ago, most of our student internships were local and unpaid,” Capuano said. “But under Dr. Slates’ leadership, the number of internships tripled, all are paid, and they are available across the United States. He routinely disseminates employment and internship opportunities to students and alumni.”

Slates will be honored during ASSP’s Safety 2019 Professional Development Conference & Exposition, held June 9-12 in New Orleans. The global event will bring together more than 5,000 safety professionals from 40 countries to learn about best practices, industry trends and the latest product innovations in the occupational safety and health field.

Each year, ASSP honors an occupational safety and health professional who demonstrates outstanding achievement in safety education. These top instructors help students reach their full potential and become results-producing safety professionals. The award is named after Dr. William E. Tarrants, a pioneer in safety education who was an ASSP Fellow and president (1977-78).