By Jeff Samoray, OU Web Writer

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has honored the Oakland University ASSE section with its top student honor, recognizing its activities and contributions toward the advancement of excellence in safety education and research.

Named the Outstanding Student Section in the nation for the 2002-03 academic year, the OU organization will receive a $6,000 award and commemorative plaque at the National ASSE Professional Development Conference June 22-25 in Denver, Colo.

OU ASSE members and Industrial Health and Safety (IHS) seniors Bobbie Schaefer and Stacy Ruby also will receive national competitive scholarships at the conference. Schaefer, who was recognized by her peers and IHS faculty as 2003 Safety Student of the Year, is the winner of a $5,250 United Parcel Service Scholarship. Ruby, section vice president, won a $3,375 Ford Motor Company Scholarship. Two other OU IHS students, Elizabeth Habel and Eric Haemelinck, were selected to present their research on indoor air quality at the conference.

"We are extremely proud of the leadership initiatives of the officers and members of our student section of ASSE," said School of Health Sciences Dean Ronald Olson. "We knew they were doing a great job, but were still surprised and delighted when they were recognized as the outstanding student section for the nation."

Judging criteria for the ASSE Outstanding Student Section includes the following:

• type and quality of section meetings devoted to further safety education, research and professionalism;
• quality and scope of applied research activities;
• type and quality of community and/or campus activities;
• scope and quality of endorsement of the section's activities by its faculty adviser and appropriate ASSE chapter and region/area officers;
• percentage of eligible students belonging to the section and percentage of student members attending each section meeting.

"This really was an outstanding year for our ASSE student section," said Assistant Professor of Industrial Health and Safety Charles McGlothlin, who also is a section faculty adviser. "I think these honors extend our reputation beyond the region as a quality educator of health and safety practitioners. These honors clearly contribute toward making the IHS program a program of distinction as well as OU as a university of distinction."

Some of the community and campus activities the section participated in were:

• sponsoring and participating with the Troy Fire Department in fire extinguisher training and the importance of fire safety;
• implementing a powered industrial trucks training program for a local manufacturing business;
• implementing a janitorial safety program for a local school district;
• creating a small business safety checklist and distributing it to local businesses;
• creating a construction safety program to be introduced to OU's Environmental Health and Safety Department;
• performing ergonomic evaluation of offices in OU's School of Health Sciences and implementing a Planned Safety Observation Program to address work practices and workstation adjustments.

"The section was very active with undergraduate research, in work with the professional community in southeast Michigan, and in campus involvement," McGlothlin said. "I think our students will be very surprised by the amount of attention they receive at the national conference. Employers are looking for students who go above and beyond the classroom in terms of professional society memberships and community involvement. These honors will go a long way in helping them find professional employment."

Founded in 1911, ASSE is the world's oldest and largest professional safety organization. Its 33,000 members manage, supervise and consult on safety, health and environmental issues in industry, insurance, government and education. ASSE has 12 divisions and 148 chapters in the United States and abroad.

OU’s ASSE section has 19 members and is one of 54 student sections across the nation. The Greater Detroit Chapter of ASSE, located in Southfield, is OU's parent chapter. Visit the ASSE, Greater Detroit ASSE and ASSE Oakland Web sites for more information on chapter services, professional development and education opportunities and the National ASSE Professional Development Conference.