AUGUST 2024
At UMASH, our goal to improve agricultural safety and health is fueled by meaningful connections, continuous learning, and growth.
This summer, our team has collaborated with different agricultural groups across industries, attended international conferences, and shared insights at local safety events to help improve farm safety, health, and well-being across the Upper Midwest. Catch up on updates including new faces on our UMASH team and recent activities from June and July.
New Faces at UMASH
The UMASH team has been growing! Earlier this summer, UMASH had the pleasure of welcoming two new members to the UMASH team.
Jocelyn Leung: Communications Specialist
Jocelyn is a University of Minnesota School of Public Health Alumna, where she got her MPH in community health promotion. She has experience in public health research, public policy (especially related to climate change), program evaluation, and grant programming.
Theo Nguyen: Student Web Assistant
Theo is an undergraduate student at UMN in the College of Design, studying Product Design and User Experience Design. He has a background in user research, information architecture, prototyping, visual design, and user testing.
Connecting with Ag Safety Experts Across the Globe at ISASH 2024
In June, UMASH staff and researchers headed to Portland, Oregon, for the 2024 International Society for Agricultural Safety & Health (ISASH) annual conference. This international event provided an excellent platform for networking with agricultural safety professionals and exchanging ideas aimed at enhancing occupational safety across the globe.
Highlights from the conference included UMASH Director Dr. Jeff Bender’s compelling presentation on the global impacts of avian influenza. Outreach Specialist Melissa Plockelman also showcased the Telling the Story project, emphasizing the power of storytelling in sharing crucial injury prevention messages within the agricultural sector.
Advancing Dairy Safety with FARM Workforce Development
Last month, UMASH collaborated with FARM to contribute to their Workforce Development (FARM WFD) session. Dr. Jeff Bender, Megan Schossow, and Cassie Edlund presented on essential topics, including positive dairy animal handling practices, needlestick and sharp safety, and fostering a safety culture on farms.
Discussing Influenza Impacts on Swine Industry
On June 27, UMASH, in collaboration with the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) and the National Pork Board, facilitated a virtual discussion titled “Potential Influenza Impacts on Swine Industry Workforce.” This informative webinar featured experts from Texas A&M School of Public Health and Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, focusing on the current HPAI H5N1 outbreak and its implications for the swine industry workforce.
The session provided valuable insights into biosecurity and worker safety guidelines.
Sharing Safety Insights with Ag Cooperative Safety Directors of MN
In July, UMASH Director Dr. Jeff Bender addressed the Minnesota Agricultural Coop Safety Directors Quarterly Meeting in Spicer, Minnesota. His presentation, “Safety in a Team Sport,” highlighted the importance of a robust safety culture within agricultural cooperatives. Dr. Bender shared effective strategies for managing risks and fostering a team-based approach to health and safety, aiming to enhance safety practices across cooperative settings.
Global Health Seed Grants: Congratulations to UMASH’s Dr. Noelle Noyes!
We are thrilled to announce that UMASH researcher Noelle Noyes, DVM, PhD, has been awarded a 2024 Global Health Seed Grant by the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility (CGHSR). Dr. Noyes’s project, “Harnessing Bacterial Genomics to Monitor Heavy Metal Pollution in the Andean Mountain Grasslands of Peru,” will benefit from $25,000 in funding.
This grant supports research that fosters international partnerships and sustainable global health solutions.