First published on July 13, 2015 in observance of the COPH’s 30^th anniversary celebration.

Founded in 1997 by a training grant supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Sunshine Education and Research Center at the USF College of Public Health stemmed from an industrial hygiene training program grant in the late 1980s.

“NIOSH has several charters,” explained Dr. Thomas Bernard, chair and professor in Environmental and Occupational Health and SERC (pronounced SIR-see) program director since 2008.  “One of them is to support and encourage the development of professionals in the field of occupational safety and health.  A mechanism for doing that is through training grants.”

After Bernard’s arrival in 1989, additional training program grants followed in occupational medicine and occupational health nursing.  Then the department began work on an occupational safety program.  Eight years later, the fledgling operation had grown enough to warrant centralization.

“In the mid-’90s,” Bernard said, “we decided that we would combine those training activities with a grant and ask for an education center.  The application required that it have training in at least three programs, and we had four: safety, industrial hygiene, medicine and nursing.  The application was accepted and funded under the leadership of Stuart M. Brooks and Yehia Hammad.”

Being headquartered at a university the size of USF naturally leads any interdisciplinary entity into an expansion cornucopia that Bernard is happy to enumerate, along with the USF colleges involved.

“Because they are multidiscipline programs, part of their value is the interdisciplinary training,” he said.  “We added, about seven years ago, occupational health psychology, so that’s now a funded program in Arts and Sciences.  We’ve expanded the safety program to include a degree out of engineering.  Obviously, we’re involved with the [Morsani] College of Medicine:  The clinical rotations and residency certificates come out of medicine, and then the academic training comes out of public health.

“With nursing,” he said, “we have three options.  One is a straight occupational health nursing degree, a second one is a dual degree in nursing and public health, and then we also have a third degree that’s strictly public health.”

Thomas Bernard, PhD

Another requirement under the grant from NIOSH, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a continuing education component,  which also has been added.  Additional expansion has stemmed from outreach activities, student recruitment and a pilot project in research training for doctoral students and junior faculty.

“We support these throughout the region,” Bernard qualified, “so they aren’t only for USF.  We have reached way beyond ourselves in terms of the arrangements that we have, but we engage the professional community more than the community at large.”

He added that the center is “very much engaged” in state and regional professional conferences, as well as in coordination with other ERCs in the state and the region.

“By and large, we have a very good national profile,” he said.  “There are just a couple of us that reach out globally, but those are more individual efforts.  The ERC is designed to serve primarily Florida, and in a larger sense, the Southeast region.  That’s our mission and our charter from NIOSH, not to go beyond that, but I think we have expertise in a number of areas that have national recognition.”

The highly technical nature of some of those areas probably help limit recognition to professional circles, but their significance would be difficult to deny. Respiratory protection from nanoparticles is one of them, but as Bernard pointed out, it’s not exactly a topic on most people’s minds.

“Few people are asking, ‘What happens when you breathe those in?’  Some of them have characteristics that are not unlike asbestos.  Others are easily transported across the air-blood barriers, so they move through the lungs into the blood and get transported elsewhere in the body.  So protecting individuals from nanoparticles is important,” he said.

And the list goes on.

“We have a major presence in the area of heat stress – how to evaluate heat stress, how to manage it, and especially, the effects of protective clothing.  We have fairly good recognition in Europe in the area of ergonomics,” he continued,  “and occupational health psychology clearly is one of our well-recognized programs.”

Workplace stress, safety climate and work-family balance are others, he said.

“And then,” he concluded with a nod that said he’d saved the best for last, “we turn out good students, and we’re recognized through the product of the quality of our students.”

SERC hosts a six-day Summer Institute for Occupational Health and Safety for students interested in exploring graduate studies.

Looking ahead is easy for Bernard, and he likes what he sees for his organization.

“I think that everything we do in public health, and everything we do within the SERC, is prevention – preventing people from being injured or having their health impaired,” he said.  “But I think our opportunity here at USF lies in translating research to practice and also expanding on the fact that a healthy workforce is healthy not only from controlling exposures to hazards in the workplace, but also from encouraging healthy activities outside the workplace.

“So, bringing these work and home lives together is an opportunity for us,” Bernard concluded, “and that’s where I see our future.”

Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health.

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First published on May 8, 2020 in observance of the COPH’s 35^th anniversary celebration.

The Sunshine Education and Research Center (Sunshine ERC) located in the USF College of Public Health is one of 18 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) education and research centers across the nation that provides interdisciplinary training of occupational safety and health professionals.

The Sunshine ERC, which was founded in 1997, offers programs collaboratively with the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Arts and Sciences and focuses on evidence-based practice and research, continuing education and outreach.

“Over the years this continuing education program evolved into a vehicle to provide low cost opportunities for professional development,” said Dr. Thomas E. Bernard, USF College of Public Health professor and Sunshine ERC center director. “The scope of the center also increased with pilot project research training and more opportunities for interdisciplinary activities.”

According to Bernard, USF COPH’s Drs. Yehia Hammad, Stuart Brooks and Pete Rentos had a vision for starting a NIOSH-supported education and research center that would be the first new center in a decade.

“As funded, the Sunshine ERC was the umbrella for industrial hygiene, occupational medicine and occupational health nursing with a nascent continuing education program. We then added occupational safety and occupational health psychology (OHP)­­—the first ERC to have an OHP program,” he said.

Bernard and Dr. Candance Burns of the College of Nursing, assumed leadership of the Sunshine ERC in 2008.

According to Bernard, with growing support from NIOSH, the Sunshine ERC affiliated with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), expanded interdisciplinary activities and enhanced outreach into underserved populations.

“This momentum carried us into the current funding cycle with the addition of UCF to support research training directed at the hospitality industry, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a new vision of occupational safety, and programs with UPR in disaster resilience for workers. Further, we now have a supported online program in health, safety and environment,” Bernard said.

The Sunshine ERC focuses on providing training that reflects the needs of key industries in Florida and emerging issues of the nation.

“Students in the Sunshine ERC receive solid training in their chosen field,” Bernard said. “The real value-added is further experience in interdisciplinary activities to better prepare them for the practice of occupational health, safety and wellness.”

Trainees spend time with peers from across disciplines in public health, nursing, and medicine at USF, psychology at USF and UCF, hospitality at UCF, and aviation at Embry-Riddle, according to Bernard.

“Each trainee is enrolled in a degree program within their institution,” Bernard said. “It is the interdisciplinary experience that takes them beyond their specific discipline.”

For example, Bernard explained, trainees are expected to attend one ERC-wide session that provides information of interest to all.

“This varies a little and includes responsible conduct of research, general principles of occupational health, safety and wellness, and team building exercises,” he said.

Trainees are also encouraged to attend national symposiums and also contribute and participate in research projects sponsored by the ERC and its faculty.

Zach Brandes-Powell, a second year occupational exposure science student in the COPH, said the Sunshine ERC has expanded his experience level as a student. 

“The mentoring and encouragement of the professors and members of the ERC have helped to push me to do things I wouldn’t have thought I was capable of with my current level of experience,” he said.  “For example, through the ERC’s support, I was able to co-present on the benefit of internships for occupational safety and health students and professionals at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHCE). With their encouragement, I also started to offer to tutor students taking industrial hygiene related courses. These opportunities have helped me to develop skills that will be beneficial to me in life and throughout my career in occupational safety and industrial hygiene.”

Brandes-Powell said going to AIHCE 2019 has been a highlight for him.

“We were able to meet students from ERCs around the country and interact with alumni of the program. The impact that the ERC has on its students was evident as the current students instantly found common ground with the alumni when talking about our courses and projects,” he said.

Miriam Escobar, also a second-year occupational exposure science student in the COPH, said the Sunshine ERC has helped her expand her networking abilities with professionals from other disciplines.  

“Now, I am part of a diversified professional network with a common goal to improve the safety and health of others in various occupational industries,” she said.

She said the highlight of her experience so far has been the ability to participate in the Puerto Rico Resiliency focus group research.

“I was able to travel to Puerto Rico and hear first hand how the hospitality community was not only affected by hurricane Maria but also come together and prevail,” Escobar said.

Currently, the Sunshine ERC is supporting four COVID-19 research projects through its program development fund, according to Bernard, three at USF and one at UCF.

Bernard said that while the Sunshine ERC focuses on students within the ERC disciplines, they have started to also engage students and faculty interested in disaster management.

“If students have an interest they should contact me or Ms. Kelly Freedman and we will see if there is an opportunity with current projects,” he said. “We would welcome and support expenses for some students outside the ERC to participate in interdisciplinary activities.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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A team led by USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe, assistant professor and COPH PhD alumna, has been awarded a seed research grant from the USF Women’s Health Collaborative (WHC).

The goal of the WHC is to support interdisciplinary research projects aimed at advancing women’s health.

McGuire-Wolfe has been awarded $10,000 to use toward her research titled, “Intentions, Barriers, and Supports for Women at All Stages of Childbearing in High Demand Professions.”

Funding was granted in September 2021 and efforts are currently underway, according to McGuire-Wolfe.

“High-demand professions, such as obstetrics, surgery, emergency medicine, firefighting and law enforcement entail safety risks, long hours, high-stakes decision-making, physical demands and emotional impact,” she said.

She and her research team aim to document the experiences of women working in high-demand professions and examine the organizational, cultural and structural “drivers of maternal stressors” in these environments.

They will examine work-life balance during pregnancy and the post-partum period; impact of maternal discrimination; and policies contributing to work-family conflicts for mothers in the workplace.

The interdisciplinary research team includes:

• Christine McGuire-Wolfe, PhD, Principal Investigator – COPH Global and Planetary Health
• Jennifer Marshall, PhD, Co-Investigator – COPH Interdisciplinary Research, Sunshine ERC
• Amber Mehmood, PhD, Co-Investigator – COPH Global and Planetary Health
• Sarah Običan, MD, Co-Investigator – MCOM Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Tammy Allen, PhD, Co-Investigator – CAS Organizational Psychology
• Russell Kirby, PhD – COPH Population Health Science
• Nancy Romero-Daza, PhD – CAS Anthropology
• Bryanna Fox, PhD – CAS Criminology
• Elizabeth Dunn, MPH – COPH

“Receipt of this grant supports development of an interdisciplinary team to explore issues encountered by mothers (or future mothers) in high demand professions. High rates of worker burn-out, decreases in new professionals entering these occupations and specialties, and low retention rates have led to work force shortages. An understanding of the challenges and supports that exist in these work environments helps to inform efforts to implement a Total Worker Health^® approach and bolster the number of professionals employed in these occupations,” McGuire-Wolfe said. 

She also said the findings will inform organizational policy and practice recommendations, with dissemination via webinar, conference presentation and publication.

“Funding from the Women’s Health Collaborative Seed Grant allows the team to build on information obtained from a needs assessment conducted with supervisors, administrators and policy stakeholders,” she said.

This initial phase is currently underway and is funded by a Pilot Project Research Training (PPRT) award through the Sunshine Education and Research Center (SERC), according to McGuire-Wolfe.

“The funding has increased research opportunities for students, as three MPH students (Pelumi Olaore, Shari-Jade Pitter and Isabel Montes) and one undergraduate student (Neha Dantuluri) are currently collaborating with the team,” she said.

To support women’s health research through the USF Women’s Health Collaborative, visit usf.to/whc.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health’s Dr. Stuart Brooks was honored with the 2021 Health Achievement in Occupational Medicine Award presented by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) on May 2 at their virtual annual conference.

The ACOEM is the pre-eminent physician-led organization that champions the health of workers, safety of workplaces and quality of environments. The award is presented annually to an ACOEM member. Brooks was recognized for his dedication and leadership in the field.

As an emeritus professor of internal medicine and public health for both the COPH and USF Morsani College of Medicine, Brooks is an internationally known expert in occupational respiratory diseases with more than 40 years of experience.

Brooks has been with USF in various roles since 1986, including professor and chair of the former COPH Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and director of the Sunshine Education and Research Center. He also started the first occupational medicine residency in Florida. The program started at USF in 1992.

Brooks credits much of his success to his former residents and graduate students. “I greatly value their influence. Without their inspiration and enthusiasm, this award would be lacking in importance.”

View more USF COPH stories featuring Brooks here and read more about his work on his website.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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In 2019, a record number of USF College of Public Health (COPH) faculty were promoted, some with tenure.

“Promotions and tenure only happen when significant accomplishments have been achieved,” said Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the COPH. “This has been the biggest year we ever had in terms of promotions. And that’s because we continue to recruit outstanding faculty who exceed expectations.”

Those receiving the title of full professor are:

• Dr. Jason Beckstead, a quantitative methodologist who teaches epidemiology and biostatistics
• Dr. Ricardo Izurieta, who specializes in tropical and infectious diseases
• Dr. Stephanie Marhefka, a behavioral scientist who is also an assistant dean for research
• Dr. Janice Zgibor, a professor of epidemiology, associate dean of academic affairs and director of the college’s DrPH Program

“Promotion to professor represents the highest achievement in the academic ranks, barring the rare recognition of distinguished professor,” said Marhefka. “It’s an honor and a privilege to achieve this goal.”

In addition to a title change, Zgibor also received tenure.

“This promotion has done a lot for my personal growth and my desire to bring my best work to the college,” said Zgibor. “The college has put a lot of trust in me to fulfill its academic mission, and I strive to meet that mission every day when I enter those front doors.”

Those moving from assistant to associate professor are:

• Dr. Jennifer Marshall, a COPH alumna, professor of maternal and child health, a fellow with the Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families and the director of planning and evaluation for the Sunshine Education and Research Center
• Dr. Dinorah Martinez-Tyson, a COPH alumna and professor of community and family health who is academically trained in medical anthropology and epidemiology
• Dr. Cheryl Vamos, another COPH alumna and director of the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice and a fellow with the Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Along with a promotion, Martinez-Tyson and Vamos also received tenure.

“It’s the people who make this college special,” said Vamos. “This is such a supportive, interdisciplinary environment with phenomenal faculty, staff, students and community partners. Being part of such an organization really motivates me to work hard for the collective mission and vision.”

“The promotion process is important because it shows commitment of the college to faculty and recognizes the growth and development of faculty in their fields and in this profession,” added Marshall. “It’s important for the sustainability and vision of the college as it undergoes changes and an evolution in structure and ideas.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Dr. Hana Osman joined the USF College of Public Health in 1997 as an eager and curious doctoral student, brand new to the field of public health.  Since gaining her doctorate in 2001, she has remained a part of COPH. Now, she is joining her husband, Everett Dameron, in retirement on August 31.

Dr. Hana Osman at her doctoral student commencement in 2001. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Osman)

Her professional background and educational training in social work fed her interest in the field of medical ethics. Then at a conference on the same topic, she ran into COPH’s Dr. Kay Perrin, her long-time friend, who is currently the assistant dean of undergraduate students. Perrin persuaded her to pursue a PhD in public health.

“This coincidental meeting changed my career trajectory from social work to public health,” Osman said.

As an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Osman has taught public health ethics to more than 1,000 students. She also has served as director of the Sunshine Education & Research Center Continuing Education Program, a USF COPH center promoting graduate training and research in occupational health and safety. Her other accomplishments include participation in the USF and Jaeb Center IRBs, as well as ethics committees at Tampa General, Bayfront Health, and LifePath Hospice.

Osman earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Rochester in New York, then her master’s of science degree in social work from the University of Missouri in Columbia. She and Everett Dameron, now her husband of many years, moved from Columbia to Tampa in 1974, where both pursued careers in social work.

“Everett retired in 2016, so I had to catch up with him. I couldn’t let him have all the fun of retirement without me!” she said.

Dr. Osman with her husband at USF Health’s celebration of her service to the university. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Osman)

Osman said her career and training in social work provided a complementary framework to public health.

“One of the most attractive features of the discipline of public health is its diversity and its multi and inter-disciplinary approach to the people’s health,” she said. “Whether you are a veterinarian, an indoor air quality professional, a social scientist or an ethicist, there is a place for you in public health. That’s the uniqueness of public health.”

She earned her doctorate in 2001 from the COPH and started work as an assistant professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health at the Florida Mental Health Institute at USF. There she conducted aging research and taught at Honors College students until she transferred to the COPH in 2003.

“My proudest professional achievement is teaching young students the value of personal ethics in their careers and in their private lives,” she said.

She said she hopes her students will remember her as the professor telling them to ‘Always do the right thing, no matter the consequences.’

Dr. Hana Osman (far right, second row) with honors students. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Osman)

“The students at the COPH are the rewards of our efforts,” she said. “The undergraduate, as well as the master’s and doctoral students, make this college what it is. Each one of these students has had a positive and unforgettable effect on me.”

She said she will miss her students, colleagues and friends at the USF COPH.

Dr. Osman with Catherine Silva, a colleague in EOH. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Osman)

In her retirement, Osman said she expects to take part in more of her hobbies: travel, tennis, exercise, skiing, body building and SCUBA diving. She said she and her husband look forward to exploring new adventures together.

“I do not see retirement from USF Health and COPH as the end of any of my relationships. I see retirement as a redirected focus rather than an end in and of itself,” she said. “The next chapter remains to be written.”

Dr. Hana Osman addresses the crowd with support from her husband Everett. (Photo by Natalie Preston)

“This is my Oscar night!” Osman said to a crowd of colleagues from across the university, former students and community partners who gathered in the COPH atrium on Friday, August 25. Attendees joined members of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health to celebrate Osman’s new title in life—retiree!

The occasion garnered lots of laughs, hugs and tears, especially when it was time for Osman to address the crowd. Unable to speak at first, her husband Everett Dameron highlighted the early years of her career in social work and public health.

When she regained her composure, Osman focused her words on those who matter the most at the end of the day—the people.

“Many people are here today and many are not here, but all have contributed to my professional growth and longevity at USF,” Osman said.

The list of thank-yous was long, but bears repeating:

“Thank you Dr. Perrin for all your support throughout the years.

COPH alumnae Drs. Mary Martinasek and Kay Perrin. (Photo by Natalie Preston)

Thank you Dr. Marion Becker, one of my professors and a very good friend, for introducing me to Dr. Larry Schonfeld who hired me for my first faculty position at FMHI after I earned my doctorate.

Thank you Dr. Hammad for recommending me to Dr. Stuart Brooks.

Thank you Dr. Bernard for your flexibility to allow me to pursue teaching ethics to all students as part of my assignment in the EOH Department.

Dr. Tom Bernard served as Osman’s department chair for about ten years. He said it was a pleasure to “have worked with someone who has been a pure joy.” He also addressed her commitment to education. “She would invite me to the classes and I was impressed with the amount of attention to her students. You helped make the department bigger than it was … So, we thank you very much!” (Photo by Natalie Preston)

Thank you Dean Petersen for leading the way and for creating a teaching career path at the COPH.

Thank you Dr. Aurora Sanchez-Anguiano for convincing me to apply for promotion!

Thank you Bob Nesbit and the OTI staff for supporting the CE program and ME – particularly 10 years ago!”

Staff kudos included shout-outs to Michael Spiegel, Melinda Tyler, Mary Johnson, Michael Haywood, Cedric Cato and Stephen Johnson for “the best support services in and outside the classroom,” Osman said. “Thank you Sandhya Srinivasan for all the support and for hiring the best people in the business to support our online teaching. The ETA staff and all the business office staff are beyond reproach!”

“The staff of the College of Public Health is just the best!” Osman said.

COPH’s June Lake, Dr. Hana Osman and Sandhya Srinivasan. (Photo by Natalie Preston)

Osman ended her remarks, just like she started—in tears.

“Thank you Cathy [Silva] for the last eight years that you’ve been with us here at COPH.”

Osman shared that in this time Silva had a son and she earned two masters degrees, “all while keeping meticulous records of all the data that she has analyzed for the continuing education program of the ERC. She will continue to perform her duties and many of mine after I leave.”

“I’m sure I’ve left out many friends and colleagues, but any omission is certainly unintended. So without further delay, please have a glass of wine and enjoy the delicious hors d’oeuvres,” Osman said.

Cheers!

Story by Anna Mayor and Natalie Preston, USF College of Public Health

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“As you know, the general population doesn’t really know much about public health – and I was no different from most people,” said Dr. Hana Osman, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the USF College of Public Health.

Osman said a conversation with Dr. Kay Perrin at a conference sparked her interest in public health. Perrin, a COPH associate professor in the Department of Community and Family Health and assistant dean of undergraduate studies, encouraged Osman to try it out.

Hana Osman, PhD

“So I took a course,” Osman said, “and I saw how related the field of public health was to the field of social work.”

Related, yes, but she couldn’t help notice a significant distinction.

“Social workers work more in microsystems,” she observed, “whereas public health works more in macrosystems. That combination just seemed ideal to me. I took my first course, and I was hooked.”

Osman was a fulltime employee at Tampa General Hospital when she took that summer 1997 course. By the end of July 1998, she had left TGH to devote herself fulltime to her public health PhD pursuit.

“I was very interested in obtaining a PhD so that I could teach at the university level. I had taught over the years in a less formal way. A lot of it was affiliated with USF, but I was a field instructor for social workers for many years.”

She completed the degree in 2001, “zipped right through,” she said, because she knew exactly what she wanted.

“I was very focused. Everything I studied, everything that I learned related to ethics, public health ethics and research ethics, and end-of-life decision-making. All of that just came together for me here,” she said, “because I was able to formalize my training, gain more training, gain more credentials and really understand all these issues at a higher level than I did before.”

The doctorate followed a bachelor of science in psychology and sociology from the University of Rochester in New York state and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri.

Osman’s first job at USF was visiting assistant professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health at the Louis De La Parte FloridaMental Health Institute. Hired immediately after graduation, she remained at FMHI until 2003, when she became COPH faculty in the Department of Community and Family Health.

In addition to her teaching duties, Osman serves as vice chair on the institutional review board of the Jaeb Center for Health Research, the institutional review board of USF, and on the ethics committees of LifePath Hospice and Bayfront Health. Since 2007, she has served as director of continuing education for the Sunshine Education and Research Center, a NIOSH-funded center within the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.

Osman will present a Dean’s Lecture Series talk, “Advance Care Planning, Not Death Panels,” on Nov. 21. She will address new regulations under the Affordable Care Act that were designed to reimburse health care providers for discussions related to end-of-life planning.

“We really should have these discussions long before people are at the end of life,” she said. “That’s really not the right time to discuss death and dying. We need to discuss these issues early on. We need to discuss them with our families. We need to write our wishes down so that there’s never any question about what we want.

“This is a very death-denying culture. When we do talk about it, it becomes affiliated with economics and the cost of health care, and that takes it out of the realm of following people’s wishes. This is where the ethical issue comes in. We’re obligated in health care to follow people’s wishes, but if we don’t know what they are, we can’t follow them. At the end of life, a lot of times, people are not able to communicate their wishes with us.”

One thing Osman’s talk won’t include is any reference to the Affordable Care Act by its all-too-common nickname.

“A lot of people call it Obamacare,” she said. “I choose not to ever refer to it that way. It politicizes a public health issue, and that’s the last thing we should want to do.”

Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health.

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Two nationally-recognized programs within the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health are teaming up once again to provide relevant training programs during the 67^th Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference and 24^th Annual Safety and Health Conference. The event takes place on August 19-23, 2012, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.

Event coordinators expect the conference to draw more than 350 exhibitors and speakers, and approximately 7,000 attendees including risk managers, regulators, safety professionals, health care providers, adjusters, insurance professionals, attorneys, medical case managers, professional employer organizations, temporary staffing, mediators and medical office administrators.

The USF OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center and Sunshine Education and Research Center (SERC) will work together for the seventh consecutive year to bring conference attendees programming that addresses their common mission for increased workplace safety. This collaborative effort results in the following programs: the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Course; Cutting Edge Occupational Health Issues: NIOSH and Beyond; two breakouts on workplace safety; and a two-day NIOSH ERC Regional Seminar.

Since 2010, two additional Education and Research Centers (ERC) joined in organizing the NIOSH ERC Regional Seminar emphasizing the application of academic research in safety to the practice of members of the workforce. This partnership includes the University of Alabama Deep South ERC and the University of North Carolina ERC.

For more information about the Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference and the Safety and Health Conference, please visit http://www.wci360.com/conference/speakers.

About the USF OTI Education Center

OTI Education Centers are a national network of non-profit organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and health training to public and private sector workers, supervisors, and employers on behalf of OSHA. The USF OTI Education Center has been delivering occupational safety and health training in construction and general industry since 2003, and it has expanded training to the maritime industry and disaster site work. For more information, please visit http://usfoticenter.org/.

About Sunshine ERC

Education and Research Centers are funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to promote graduate training and research related to occupational health and safety. As one of 17 ERCs in the nation, the Sunshine ERC focuses on training professionals on how to treat and prevent occupational illnesses, why illness occur in the workplace and how to make the workplace a safer environment. For more information, please visit http://www.cme.hsc.usf.edu/erc/.

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