Occupational Health

Every day, hundreds of workers across Washington state are hurt on the job. Some lose their lives. Many of the industries that shaped the state — forestry, fishing, agriculture — are riddled with risk.

In the past several years, avian flu has rapidly evolved. A new variant has caused widespread, deadly outbreaks on chicken farms. In the U.S., farmers have culled millions of hens, hiking the price of eggs. The virus has also jumped from birds to mammals, spreading among dairy herds. 

Ally ClonchPhD, Environmental Health SciencesHometownNorth Wilkesboro, NCFuture plansBecoming a teaching professor at a public university.“Environmental health straddles two of my passions: protecting our natural world, and protecting and improving the health of communities.”

For the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS), 2024 was a year of behind-the-scenes change, as we thanked Professor Michael Yost for his 10-year tenure as department chair and welcomed

Jorge Rivera-GonzalezPh.D., Environmental Health Sciences (Industrial Hygiene and One Health)HometownPuerto RicoFuture plansPursuing a career as an Environmental Health Officer.

As policy director for the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Maggie Leland’s job is rarely the same from day to day. She may be working on a new rule to help protect workers’ health or assisting members of the Washington State Legislature with technical guidance related to a proposed bill.   

Kailee (Kai) SisounthoneBS in Environmental Public HealthHometownPasco, WAInternship withSeattle City Light

U.S. workers are routinely exposed to multiple psychosocial hazards in the workplace that negatively impact their health. 

Professor Lianne Sheppard’s bio recently grew a bit longer as she added a new title to her name. As of Sept. 1, 2024, Sheppard is the interim chair of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS).  

Support students by giving to the Gleason fundWhen Richard (Rick) Gleason retired from his position as associate teaching professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupati

Orhan EribacApplied MS, Environmental Health SciencesHometownRoswell, GAFuture plansWorking at the intersection of public health and culture, perhaps with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.“It was the perfect blend of human and environmental health for me.”

At the end of this month, Michael Yost will be stepping down after a 10-year term as chair of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS).

I was born and raised in Morton, Washington, a small rural town near Mount Rainier whose local economy is primarily supported by lumber mills. I completed my undergraduate degree at the UW, where I initially wanted to study biology. After taking my first environmental health class, I was hooked and decided to study environmental and occupational health.

In June, 30 new faculty members at the UW took a five-day, 1,000-mile-plus bus tour around Washington state to get to know the state’s diverse landscape and people, as well as their new colleagues.  

Four years ago, as attention locked onto COVID-19, another virus began circling the globe.

The University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH) continues to offer some of the best public health graduate education in the country, according to the 2024 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. UW SPH ranked No.

 

2023 has been a year of community resilience for the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). Together with many partners, our students, faculty and staff spearheaded projects to help Pacific Northwest communities respond and adapt to extreme heat, flooding, wildfire smoke and other impacts of climate change.

John Lykins Applied MS, Environmental Health Sciences Hometown Midland, OH Future plans A career as an industrial hygienist in the maritime industries. “I want to find solutions that have a minimal impact on people’s workflow while providing maximum protection for workers.”

As a young woman, Diana Ceballos spent Saturdays volunteering with impoverished children living in a neighborhood built on top of a garbage dump in her native Medellin, Colombia.

Christopher Alawode MPH, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Hometown Rancho Cucamonga, CA Future plans Working as an Occupational Medicine physician, perhaps in a rehabilitation center.

Mariam Assaad MPH, Environmental Health Sciences Hometown Brazil and Lebanon Future plans Utilize my degree to create a healthier environment and safer workplaces. “I am grateful for the hands-on experiences, the lessons I’ve learned, and the meaningful connections I’ve built.”

Miguel Rojas-Flores Applied MS, Environmental Health Sciences Hometown Merced, CA Future plans After graduation this fall, I plan to move back home to California’s Central Valley and pursue a teaching credential to serve the communities where I grew up.

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When Bruk Molla first came to the UW as an undergraduate, he was searching for the perfect premed major. He considered several options, but struggled to find exactly what he was looking for: a field with direct impact on people’s lives. Then he discovered the Environmental Health major in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS).

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DEOHS is collaborating with cross-sector partners to prepare for a hotter future in the Pacific Northwest