OSH News
Student accomplishments
Murray State OSH students travel to London and Dublin on a Study Abroad trip
Dr. David Wilbanks led an OSH Study Abroad Trip in Winter 2023 to London and Dublin.
He taught Exploring Risk Management Practices, allowing Murray State OSH students
to gain learning experiences in London including Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Churchill
War Rooms and Transportation museums; and in Dublin including Epic Irish Immigration
Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, Croke Park Stadium and the Guinness
Storehouse. These sites provided a great lens for viewing how risk has been faced,
understood and acted upon, each providing vivid and real insights to risk management
practices both past and present. Comparisons of United States, British and Irish practices
were emphasized throughout.
-Posted January 2024
Murray State OSH students awarded 2022 BCSP Foundation scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Asia Blanton, Hallie Ludovissie,
and Ryan Potts, were awarded Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Foundation
scholarships which are provided to Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) Qualified Academic
Programs (QAP).
-Posted November 2023
Murray State OSH student awarded Murray State AIHA Student Section scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Tandeep Arora, was awarded $500 in scholarship from the Murray State AIHA Student Section. A Murray
State AIHA Student Section scholarship is awarded to a deserving AIHA student section
member each semester.
-Posted November 2023
Murray State OSH students presented at TVS-AIHA Conference
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Mollie Daniel and Ryan Potts,
presented at the Tennessee Valley Section of American Industrial Hygiene Association
(TVS-AIHA) conference in Lenoir City, TN. Mollie presented on Parallel Particle Impactor
Sampling, and Ryan presented on Heat Stress Sampling from an Internship Experience.
-Posted November 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded NSC scholarships and attend Expo
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Madelyn Hackney, Tucker Sharp,
and Karena O'Bryan, attended the National Safety Council's (NSC) National Awards Ceremony
as scholarship recipients at the NSC Congress and Expo in New Orleans, LA. Madelyn
and Karena both received the NSC Women in Safety scholarship. Awarded for the first
time in 2018, the Women in Safety Scholarship provides a $5,000 renewable scholarship
for women studying safety in the workplace. Tucker received the NSC Safety Congress
& Expo scholarship. First awarded in 2017, this program provides student members full
funding to attend the NSC Congress & Expo.
-Posted November 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded Chevron scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students were awarded in combination $10,000
in scholarships from Chevron. Scholarship recipients include OSH students – Jesse
Adams, Lily Sanchez, Daniel Schroeder, and Aubrey Stubblefield.
-Posted October 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded AIHA Foundation scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Lexi Stone and Karena O'Bryan,
were awarded in combination $4,050 in scholarships from the AIHA Foundation. Every year, the AIHF awards qualified students and young professionals with scholarships
of varying types to help offset costs in their pursuit of a career in industrial hygiene.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded ASSP Foundation scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Jesse Adams, Madelyn Hackney,
and Ryan Potts, were awarded in combination $9,000 in scholarships from the ASSP Foundation.
Since 1990, the ASSP Foundation has awarded more than $5 million in academic scholarships
and professional education grants to occupational safety and health students and professionals
working towards their educational goals. See a list of all ASSP Foundation scholarship recipients.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded Krissa "Sparky" Dudley scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Lexi Stone and Aubrey Stubblefield,
were awarded a combination of $5,000 in scholarships from the first annual Krissa
"Sparky" Dudley scholarship. The Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment was
established by gifts to the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation)
from her parents, George and Susan Dudley in memoriam of her can-do attitude and "fire
in the belly" to make a difference in the world. The scholarship was created to assist
students at Murray State University in obtaining an education to prepare them for
a career in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Learn more about Krissa's story.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded KSHN scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students were awarded in combination $9,751
in SAFE Awards from the Kentucky Safety and Health Network (KSHN). SAFE Award recipients
include Ryan Potts and Karena O'Bryan. Annually, KSHN provides scholarships to eligible
undergraduate and graduate college students studying occupational safety and health,
industrial hygiene, or a related field. The scholarships are referred to as the Scholastic
Achievement for Education Awards, or SAFE Awards. Since 2005, KSHN has awarded nearly
$539,000 in SAFE Awards to college students.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students selected as NIOSH Trainees under the Murray State TPG Grant
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health graduate students, Asia Blanton, Brendan
Nelson, Karena O'Bryan, Lily Sanchez, Daniel Schroeder, and Sean Thomas, were selected
as NIOSH Trainees under the Murray State Training Project Grant (TPG). As Trainees,
they receive support through funding for tuition/fees and travel. The purpose of the
grant is to strengthen the learning environment to prepare the next generation of
leaders in OSH practice. This is accomplished by preparing graduate students who are
well-trained to enter the workforce, ready to respond to both established risks, as
well as new challenges brought on by the changing nature of work.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students received KEMI OSH Diversity Scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Camille Barber, Reagan Garner,
and Hannah Waller, were awarded a combination of $30,000 in scholarships from the
Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance (KEMI) Occupational Safety and Health Diversity
scholarship. This scholarship was established to encourage the next generation of
insurance professionals.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH student awarded ASSP St. Louis Chapter scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Aubrey Stubblefield, was awarded
$1,750 in scholarship from the St. Louis Chapter of ASSP. The scholarship is awarded
with the purpose of supporting full-time undergraduate or graduate studies leading
directly to a career in a safety, health, environmental or closely related field.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH student awarded the L. Jack Dunman Memorial scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Lexi Stone, was awarded $2,750
in scholarship from the L. Jack Dunman Memorial scholarship.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded ASSP Middle Tennessee Chapter scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students, Madelyn Hackney, Ryan Potts,
and Hannah Waller, were awarded in combination $4,500 in scholarships from the Middle
Tennessee Chapter of ASSP. See a list of all ASSP Middle Tennessee Chapter scholarship recipients.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH student awarded Barriere Construction Company Safety scholarships
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Ryan Potts, was awarded $500
in scholarship from the Barriere Construction Safety scholarship.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State ASSP Student Section placed 2nd in Outstanding Student Section Award competition
The Murray State ASSP Student Section received runner-up recognition for the 2022-2023
Outstanding Student Section of the Year Award. They ranked second out of the 12 schools
in scoring. The student section will receive a $500 stipend from the National ASSP
Organization. The Murray State ASSP Student Section received 1st place in the 2019-2020
OSSA competition.
-Posted May 2023
Murray State OSH students awarded the Murray State ASSP Student Section Scholarship sponsored by the ASSP Purchase Area Chapter
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health students were awarded in combination $2,500
in scholarships from the Murray State ASSP Student Section sponsored by the Purchase
Area Chapter of ASSP. Scholarship recipients include OSH students – Jesse Adams, Aubrey
Stubblefield, and Madelyn Hackney. The Murray State ASSP Student Section scholarship
sponsored by the Purchase Area Chapter of ASSP is awarded to a deserving ASSP student
section members each year by the Murray State ASSP faculty advisor, Dr. Julie Boyd,
and student section officers.
-Posted May 2023
Murray State OSH student awarded Department of Veterans Affairs Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship
Murray State Occupational Safety and Health student, Ashley Cypret, was awarded a
$30,000 Department of Veterans Affairs Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship.
-Posted March 2023
Alumni accomplishments
Murray State OSH alumnus appointed Chair of BCSP Foundation
Murray State OSH alumnus, Travis Kruse, Ph.D., MS, CSP, has been appointed Chair of
the BCSP Foundation. Dr. Kruse is the Senior Director, Safety & Sustainability Solutions
Strategy for W.W. Grainger Incorporated. He has over 22 years of experience in consulting,
general industry, and sales leadership roles. He is a Certified Safety Professional
(CSP), Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health (ANSAC/ABET) Advisory
Council Member, Semiconductor Environmental, Safety & Health Association (SESHA) Board
Member, and an authorized instructor for the OSHA Training Institute (OTI). Dr. Kruse
has a Ph.D. in Public Health from Oregon State University and a M.S. degree in Environmental
Health and Safety from Murray State University and has published in the Journal of
Safety Research.
-Posted March 2024
OSH Alumna receives NSC Marion Martin Award
Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health alumna, Stephanie Miller, received the National Safety Council's Marion Martin Award. Launched in 2016, the Marion Martin Award annually celebrates the accomplishments of women in safety who have paved the way to success for other women in the profession.
Learn more about the award.
-Posted October 2023
OSH Alumna receives Murray State 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award
Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health alumna, Phyllis Childs ('98, '00) was the recipient of a Murray State 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award.
A Palm Beach County, Florida native, Childs earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication in 1998. She lettered in track and field all four years and was awarded MVP as a senior. She earned her master’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in 2000, and considers the greatest highlight of her Murray State experience to be meeting her husband of more than 20 years, Wendell Childs, ’01. They have three children, David, Wendell, Jr. and Darren Childs.
Childs currently serves as the safety group manager for the General Motors (GM) North America Customer Care and Aftersales Division based in Warren, Michigan, leading GM’s safety efforts for 26 sites across the division. Throughout her 23-year tenure with GM, Childs has served the company all over the country including stints in Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas, New York, Florida and Ohio.
According to Childs, her current role allows her to execute the full totality of skills and tools harnessed at Murray State. “Every day reflects the team-building experiences I learned in track and field and the communication skills I honed while excelling in Organizational Communication,” said Childs. “Even in failure, I learned at Murray State that the road to success is filled with failures, but that road is not filled with people who give up.”
Learn more about Phyllis and all of this year's Distinguished Alumni honorees.
-Posted April 2023
The Murray State University Foundation, Inc. announces the Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment
The Krissa “Sparky” Dudley Scholarship Endowment was established by gifts to the Murray
State University Foundation, Inc. (MSU Foundation) from her parents, George and Susan
Dudley in memoriam of her can-do attitude and "fire in the belly" to make a difference
in the world. The scholarship was created to assist students at Murray State University
in obtaining an education to prepare them for a career in Occupational Safety and
Health (OSH). Learn more about Krissa's story.
-Posted March 2023
Murray State OSH alumna appointed to FACOSH
Murray State OSH alumna, Jayme Hobson, '09, '10, was recently appointed to the Federal
Advisory Council on Occupational Safety & Health (FACOSH), a presidential advisory
board to the United States Secretary of Labor. She was also featured in the Paducah
Life Magazine for her accomplishments. Hobson serves FACOSH as a representative of
TVA, where she has worked since 2021.
-Posted March 2023
Faculty and department accomplishments
Murray State OSH faculty receives 2024 Murray State University Alumni Association Emerging Scholar Award in STEM
Dr. Oluwabunmi Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, was awarded the 2024 Emerging Scholar Award in STEM by the Murray State Alumni Association.
The award gives special recognition for superior research, scholarly, or creative
work conducted by Murray State University faculty members who are in the early phase
of their careers, and who show professional promise. Each award is for $500, and each
recipient name will be engraved on the Murray State Alumni Association Emerging Scholar
Award plaque located in the Murray State University Alumni Center.
-Posted March 2024
Murray State OSH faculty receives 2023 Lana Porter Open Access Initiatives Award
Dr. Rupkatha Bardhan, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, was awarded the 2023 Lana Porter Open Access Initiatives Award by the Murray State University Libraries.
This award recognizes Murray State faculty members or staff who have made significant contributions to scholarship through open access formats. This should include, but is not limited to, establishing a pattern of open access publishing, publications that allow for archiving in our institutional repository, or open access works which have experienced high demonstrable impact. This award seeks to recognize a commitment to open access and assist in archiving and promoting the scholarship of Murray State faculty, staff, and students.
The award was established by a generous gift of Lana Porter, a Murray State alumnus
who is a strong supporter of our faculty, staff, and students, and who sought to give
back in the area of technology and with the Libraries.
-Posted October 2023
Murray State OSH faculty presented at the BCSP R&I Summit
Dr.Rupkatha Bardhan, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety
and Health at Murray State University, presented Physical and Mental Health Risks in Frontline and Essential Workers at the Board
of Certified Safety Professionals Research and Innovation Summit in Indianapolis,
IN.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH faculty presented at the AIHceEXP
Dr. Julie Boyd, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health
at Murray State University, presented Identifying Ergonomic Risk Utilizing Sensor Technology at the AIHceEXP in Phoenix,
AZ.
-Posted August 2023
Murray State OSH faculty awarded CISR Grant
Dr. Rupkatha Bardhan, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety
and Health at Murray State University, was awarded a Committee for Institutional Studies
and Research (CISR) grant for Physiological Monitoring of Heat Stress in Employees
Using Real-time Monitor.
-Posted May 2023
Faculty publications
Murray State OSH faculty publishes in Safety Science
Dr. David Wilbanks, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and
Health at Murray State University, along with Dr. Yousif Abulhassan and Dr. Jan Wachter,
co-published "Reconciling occupational safety and health (OSH) Master’s of Science curricula with
employer demands" in Safety Science, January 2023.
-Posted February 2023
Murray State OSH faculty publish in COVID
Dr. Rupkatha Bardhan, Dr. Traci Byrd and Dr. Julie Boyd, faculty in the Department
of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, co-published "Safe Return
to Work for Domestic Workers in the Time of Covid-19" in COVID, 1(3), 575-589. View the article.
-Posted November 2021
Murray State OSH alumnus and faculty publish in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Mr. Laramie Lock, Murray State Occupational Safety and Health alumnus, and Dr. Oluwabunmi
Dada, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, co-published
along with Mr. Jacob S. Shed, “Aerosol Transmission of Infectious Disease and the
Efficacy of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)” in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 63(11). View the article.
-Posted November 2021
Murray State OSH faculty publish in Professional Safety
Dr. David Wilbanks, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and
Health at Murray State University, published “Contractor Safety Prequalification:
Background, Current Practice, and New Paths” in the March 2021 Issue of Professional Safety.
-Posted March 2021