James P. Keogh Scholarship Fund and Awards

James P. Keogh, MD was a tireless advocate for worker safety and health who died in June 1999 at the age of 49. His earliest work in academic medicine, he identified the causal agent in an outbreak of bladder neuropathy in the 1970s. Dr. Keogh was able to make this determination because, unlike many of the clinicians initially contacted by the workers, he took their complaints seriously and applied clear public health principles to his investigation. Throughout his life, he listened carefully to workers, characterized hazards and diseases, and then fearlessly worked to identify compensation for the individual and prevention strategies for others. Dr. Keogh was instrumental in the inclusion of construction workers in the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health lead standard, a full decade before the Federal standard did the same. He was a leading medical educator who always focused on the need to incorporate clinical compassion with public health prevention. His most outstanding legacy, however, was that he was a tireless advocate for worker safety and health and his fierce determination to put knowledge into practice to benefit the worker.

Applications for the James P. Keogh Memorial Scholarship Awards

The Occupational Health and Safety Section will be awarding another round of scholarships covering registration for the 2013 APHA Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, (November 2 – 6, 2013), a one-year APHA membership and $300.00 for conference-related expenses. Last year we had outstanding winners who participated in the conference, our section meetings and special events.

The scholarship program's goal is to strengthen the participation of students and union representatives in APHA. We recognize that we need the involvement of workers and new health and safety professionals to make our workplaces and communities healthy and safe.

Please select either the Student Application or Union Representative Application and submit to Sarah Jacobs at the address provided on the forms. This year, we are asking Section members to apply on behalf of a Union representative who has been active in health and safety. We would like to give scholarships to local union officers, health and safety committee members, shop stewards, district-level officers and representatives. These awards are NOT intended for international union health and safety staff. Instructions are described on the application form.

All applications must be submitted by June 30, 2013. If you have any questions contact Sarah Jacobs at sjacobs@irle.ucla.edu or Karen Mulloy at kbmulloydo@gmail.com.