National organization honors UT associate professor

September 11, 2015 | News, UToday, Medicine and Life Sciences
By Lindsay Mahaney



After years of dedication to a globally recognized organization, a University of Toledo faculty member was honored for her efforts this summer.

Dr. Sheryl Milz was recognized as a recipient of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Fellow Award in June. The associate professor of public health and preventive medicine was one of 12 award recipients.

“I didn’t even know I was nominated until I received the letter saying I was named a Fellow,” she said. “It was really quite a surprise. It was very nice.”

Milz

Milz

The American Industrial Hygiene Association is the premier group of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. The organization’s more than 10,000 members represent a mixed bag of backgrounds, including industry, private business, labor, government and academia, but they all share a common goal: create knowledge to protect work health and eliminate workplace illness.

Members who have been involved in the organization for at least 15 years, are highly active in the group, and have displayed exceptional achievements are eligible for the fellowship.

“Less than 5 percent of the organization can be a Fellow, that’s a rule,” Milz explained. “To be named a Fellow is quite an honor because you have to be very involved.”

As a member of the Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee, Milz took part in many of the organization’s projects. She cites working on A Strategy for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures — one of the most commonly used reference books in exposure assessments — as the most prestigious. Milz co-wrote multiple chapters in the book; the fourth edition was released in June.

Additionally, Milz previously served a three-year commitment for leading the committee during which she worked as co-chair, chair and past chair. She also taught an exposure strategies and statistics course at the organization’s annual conference for five years.

“Susan Arnold, a graduate of our Master of Science in Occupational Health Program, who has collaborated with Sheryl Milz for a number of years, reached out as she and the American Industrial Hygiene Association Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee planned to nominate Dr. Milz for the American Industrial Hygiene Association Fellow Award,” said Dr. April Ames, UT assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine, who was one Milz’s nominators.

“We felt Dr. Milz deserved Fellow status for her various achievements in education and research, as well as the positive effects she has had as a leader in the field of industrial hygiene at both the local and national level.”

Milz was presented the award at the association’s annual conference in Salt Lake City.

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