Department of Environmental Health Enjoys Celebratory Weekend

The weekend of Oct. 9-10 was one to remember for the UC College of Medicine’s Department of Environmental Health, which celebrated its rich history with two days of festivities that included a gala dinner and awards event and a scientific program. The department celebrated the 50th anniversary of assuming its present name in 1965, along with 85 years of research excellence at the Kettering Laboratory Complex on UC’s medical campus.

"As we celebrate our past with these wonderful milestones, we must never forget that the future is what energizes us—creating a better future for tomorrow,” UC President Santa Ono, PhD, said Friday afternoon, Oct. 9, to faculty, staff, alumni and guests gathered in the Kettering Complex’s Kehoe Auditorium.

William Ball, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, also gave remarks following a welcome by Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD, Jacob G. Schmidlapp Professor and Chair of Environmental Health. Ho has led the department since 2005. 

The afternoon’s program highlighted the department’s history and achievements and also included salutes to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), along with a presentation by Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH, of Simon Fraser University, titled, "Crime of the Century: Out Failure to Prevent the Lead Epidemic.”

Friday evening featured a cocktail reception and gala dinner/awards program at the Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center. Guests included Ball and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Beverly Davenport, PhD.

Ten emeriti faculty members were honored for excellence at the dinner, and the Outstanding Alumnus Award was presented to Richard Fulwiler, ScD, president of Technology Leadership Associates and a course director and instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health. Fulwiler received his doctor of science in environmental health from UC in 1967 and spent 28 years at Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co., retiring as director of health and safety worldwide.

The weekend concluded Saturday, Oct. 10, with a scientific program, "Looking Forward,” in Kehoe Auditorium.