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Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety

The Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety is one of seventeen Education and Research Centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  The Center, a consortium of The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Auburn University, offers graduate and post graduate programs in occupational health nursing, industrial hygiene and occupational safety and ergonomics.

The Center provides strong programs of study for its students, which includes interdisciplinary experiences and field work experiences. Our graduates have gone on to rewarding and challenging careers in occupational health and safety (Testimonials) .  Financial Assistance for masters and doctoral students is available for U.S. citizens.

For more information on admissions to the graduate program, please click here.  

            

R.Kent Oestenstad PhD,CIH, Center Director

(205) 934-6208

oestk@uab.edu

Elizabeth H. Maples, PhD, Deputy Director

(205) 934-7209

ehm@uab.edu

 Center's Staff

Technology Coordinator
(205) 934-7178
Administrative Associate
(205) 934-7032
Program Manager
(205) 934-8488
Project Coordinator
(205) 934-7178

 

Academic Programs

Occupational Health Nursing: MSN or PhD Studies

The University of Alabama School of Nursing is a component of the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety. The Deep South Center offers occupational health nursing students rigorous studies to prepare for full interaction with other occupational health and safety professionals in planning and implementing occupational health and safety programs.

Karen Heaton, PhD, CEN, FNP-BC,  Program Director OHN Program

Faculty Page: Karen Heaton, PhD, CEN, FNP-BC: Email:(205) 996-9467

Program Faculty
Professor and Chair of Community Health, Outcomes and Systems
Email
(205) 934-6858
MSN Program Coordinator and Associate Professor
Email
(205) 934-6587
Assistant Professor
Email
(205) 996-7340

Industrial Hygiene: MPH or Doctoral Studies

The Industrial Hygiene Program is a component of the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.  The Deep South Center offers students rigorous studies to prepare for full interaction with other occupational health and safety professionals in planning and implementing health and safety programs.

Claudiu T. Lungu, PhD, Program Director IH/HST

Faculty Page: Claudiu T. Lungu : Email: (205) 934-2072

Program Faculty
Joe Harrison, MPH, CIH Credential Credit Course Instructor Email (256) 750-7505
Elizabeth H. Maples, PhD Assistant Professor Email (205) 934-7209
R.Kent Oestenstad, PhD, CIH Associate Professor Email (205) 934-6208
Max Richard, MPH Assistant Professor (205) 934-7414
Giuseppe L. Squadrito, PhD Research Associate Professor Email (205) 934-7061
Edward Postlethwait, PhD Chair and Professor Email (205) 934-7032

Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (OS&E)/Injury Prevention (IP)

The Industrial and System Engineering Department provides occupational safety and ergonomics and injury prevention educational opportunities at the graduate level through degree programs, research, and continuing education, and outreach.

Program Faculty

Program Director/Associate Professor
(334) 844-1411
Program Director for OIPR/Assistant Professor
(334) 844-1552

 
The University of Alabama Rural Medical Scholars Program with an Emphasis on Agricultural Safety and Health (RMSP-Ag S&H) will integrate University of Alabama’s strong existing agromedicine program with other Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety core programs.  A strong emphasis on occupational safety, ergonomics and industrial hygiene will be provided through a one-year master’s study.  The program will prepare individuals for successful careers in academia, research and private industry – producing a body of physicians and agriculture safety and health specialists who will dedicate their careers to preventing injuries and disease in the rural community.
 
Program Faculty
Program Director Ag S&H
Email
 (205) 348-1300

Supporting Faculty
 
Other faculty and instructors within the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and other departments within the UAB School of Public Health are course masters or help teach courses that are common to the IH curricula. Some of these faculty members also participate on IH student committees and mentor IH student research.

Edward M. Postlethwait, PhD is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences. He is the Director of the UAB Environmental Exposure Facility, is a Senior Scientist in the UAB Center for Free Radical Biology and the Extracellular Matrix Center, and serves on the UAB Council on Post Doctoral Education. He will co-teach ENH 650 - Environmental and Occupational Toxicology and Diseases, is the lead instructor for ENH 710, Grant Proposal Writing in Biomedical Sciences and provides lectures in TOX 711 - Principles of Toxicology (Department of Pharmacology).
Rui-Ming Liu, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. Her research interest is in Oxidative Stress/Antioxidants in Lung Fibrotic and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Dr. Liu is the lead instructor for ENH 650, Environmental & Occupational Toxicology and Diseases. She will advise Industrial Hygiene MPH students in their research projects and will serve on Ph.D. students’ committees.
Giuseppe Squadrito, PhD is a Research Associate Professor with research interest in Free radical chemistry and Biochemistry as well as in Analytical Chemistry. Dr. Squadrito will be teaching ENH 601 and ENH 701, Environmental chemistry at both master and doctoral levels. He is currently serving on a student Ph.D. Doctoral Committee in Industrial Hygiene.
Steven M. Becker, PhD is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department. Dr. Becker’s research interest is in Environmental Disasters and Emergency Communication. He is the instructor for ENH 610, Environmental Health Disasters, which is an elective course for the Industrial Hygiene students. He will also serves on Doctoral Dissertation Committees.
Mark D. Garfinkel, PhD is a Research Assistant Professor specialized in Environmental Toxicology and Drosophila Developmental Biology. He teaches ENH 600, Fundamentals of Environmental Health Sciences, ENH 602 Environmental Management, and ENH 700, Scientific Basis of Environmental Health.
Michelle Fanucchi, PhD is an Associate Professor specialized in Pulmonary Cell Biology and Toxicology. She is the lead instructor for ENH 790, Current topics in Environmental Health sciences research, an advanced seminar for doctoral students. Dr. Fanucchi is the department Doctoral Program Director and she will serve on Doctoral Committees.

 
Other faculty and instructors within the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and other departments within the UAB School of Public Health are course masters or help teach courses that are common to the IH curricula. Some of these faculty members also participate on IH student committees and mentor IH student research.

Judith McBride, MSPH, CIH is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. She provides lectures in ENH 661 - Air Sampling and Analysis and assists in identifying campus wide sites for the laboratory part of this course.
Todd Hogue, MSPH, CIH, CSP is a graduate of the Industrial Hygiene Program at UAB, and is the Manager of Environmental Safety and Health at 3M in Decatur, AL. Mr. Hogue teaches ENH 603 - Management of Occupational Health and Safety.
In addition, Dr. Rob Thomas, Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (OSE) Program Director, together with Dr. Jerry Davis and Dr. Lewis Payton from Auburn University, provide instruction for ENH 670 Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics taught at Auburn and telecasted to IH students at UAB.

George Howard, DrPH teaches the biostatistics (BST 600) class we require for our students.
Olivia Thomas, PhD teaches the core epidemiology course (EPI 600)
Stephen Mennemeyer, MA, PhD teaches the Health Care Organization and Policy (HCO 660) course.
Melissa Galvin, PhD, MPH coordinates the Public Health Integrative Experience (MCH 695) , this is a required course for all MPH students in the School of Public Health.

John Waterbor, MS, MD, DrPH teaches Principles of Epidemiologic Research (EPI 610)
Nalini Sathiakumar, MD, DrPH teaches Environmental Epidemiology (EPI 616)

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Material Sciences and Engineering