The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) has established the President's Leadership Award. This award, to be given annually by AIHF, will be the foundation's highest scholarship and professional development honor. The award consists of a considerable scholarship as well as a professional development opportunity to attend a British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH), or comparable international conference on occupational health and safety.
The prestigious President's Leadership Award is made possible thanks to a generous $150,000 endowment and annual donation by John Henshaw, MPH, CIH, FAIHA, who served as president of American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) in 1990–91. "This is a way for me to give back to the profession by helping others as others have helped me in my career as an industrial hygienist. I see the establishment of this award as the 'gift that keeps on giving' to the working women and men around the world in ensuring their health and safety," said Henshaw.
Henshaw has been an active member of AIHA since 1976 and has served the organization in a variety of roles, including as a member of the board of directors, AIHA president, and AIHA Fellow. Throughout his career, Henshaw has provided leadership and engagement for activities that strengthen the industrial hygiene practice around the world CIH body, while creating ways for early career professionals to raise their professional competence through certification. Henshaw is currently president of John Henshaw and Associates Inc., a safety and health professional services firm in Florida.
"We are honored to announce this scholarship, which will be awarded to a student who is committed to the industrial hygiene (IH) and occupational health (OH) profession. We are incredibly thankful to John for this extraordinary commitment to our Foundation," said Kathy Murphy, current president of both AIHF and AIHA. "Thanks to this endowment, we can continue to invest in the future of the IH/OH profession."
To qualify, the winner must demonstrate scientific, literary, and research acumen in industrial hygiene, environmental and occupational health disciplines. He or she must be a graduate student with a focus in IH/OH or exposure science. The student must also demonstrate a strong propensity toward leadership, volunteerism, and problem-solving. Most notably, the student must show a genuine passion for using his or her knowledge, experience, and talents to make a tangible and positive impact on worker health and safety.
AIHF encourages everyone who supports the advancement of the IH/OH profession to join it in making tax-deductible contributions to this award.
About AIHF
The mission of the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation is to advance the profession by awarding scholarships to students in industrial hygiene and related disciplines and by funding training/professional development opportunities for industrial hygienists in the first 15 years of their professional careers in IH and related disciplines.
Since 1982, AIHF has distributed more than $2 million in scholarship funds to students pursuing a degree in industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety. These scholarships have enabled talented students to complete their education, and they have encouraged the most promising scholars to enter and remain in the industrial hygiene profession.
About AIHA
Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association is a nonprofit organization serving professionals dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation of environmental stressors in or arising from the workplace that may result in injury, illness, or impairment, or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. AIHA provides comprehensive education programs and other products and services that help its members maintain the highest professional standards.