Being safe from environmental risk is essential to our society, and three students from USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) want to keep people focused on their personal well-being.
Dana Nieuwkerk, Donovan Enos and Tiffany Parrish recently spoke at the annual Southeast Regional Research Symposium (SERRS) and Southeastern States Occupational Network (SouthON) meeting, both held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
They also have been trainees of the college’s Sunshine Education and Research Center (ERC), which promotes graduate training and research related to occupational health and safety. The center touches all parts of USF, including nursing, psychology, public health, environment, social marketing, targeted research training and safety management.
“We have amazing Sunshine ERC trainees from across disciplines who are actively involved in interdisciplinary research and outreach,’’ said ERC director Dr. Jennifer Marshall.
Nieuwkerk, who aims to graduate in August with her MPH and PhD in health, safety and environment, presented two posters at the symposium highlighting applied environmental microbiology and molecular detection methods.
“Both projects aim to improve field-deployable tools for public health surveillance and environmental risk assessment,’’ she said. “I’m especially concerned about climate-related health threats, such as heat exposure, waterborne pathogens and harmful algal blooms, which disproportionately affect communities.’’
Dana Nieuwkerk (Photo courtesy of Marshall)
Nieuwkerk shared a presentation titled “Comparative Efficiency of Swab Types for Recovery of Escherichia coli and HF183 from Household Surfaces.” She evaluated the efficiency of three swab types − polyester, nylon and foam − for recapturing harmful bacteria from sewage-contaminated surfaces. She concluded that polyester swabs are the best choice.
Her second talk focused on the development of an assay for rapid detection of an organism that causes red tides and how this can be a practical tool to enhance early warnings in coastal communities. This project won first place in the symposium’s MPH category.
Nieuwkerk said she gained helpful insights from the symposium and its open forums for sharing information among students and industry peers.
“The discussions deepened my understanding of how environmental health tools can be rapidly adapted for emergent public health needs,’’ she said. “I also made valuable connections with researchers working on occupational health technologies, which may support future collaborations.’’
Donovan Enos, who graduated from USF this past spring with an MPH in health, safety and environment, presented the topic “Risk Assessment of Volatile Sulfur Compounds Exposure on Wastewater Workers of Municipal Wastewater Plants.” Sulfur emitted from wastewater plants can cause discomfort in site workers and an increased risk of respiratory illnesses. His goal was to determine the origin of emissions and showed that primary treatment systems were the main culprits.
“I presented because I wanted to shed light on the dangers that wastewater operators face when working around harmful wastewater,’’ Enos said. “I’m passionate about the safety of wastewater and drinking water plant operators, as they risk their health to provide meaningful services to the public.’’
The conference gave Enos a better understanding of not only his own environmental health focus, but on those of his peers.
“One of the main things I learned at this symposium was that there are a wide range of safety issues that affect workers’’ in different fields, he said. “I also met a diverse group of students who have a variety of solutions to occupational health problems.’’
The experience also made him a stronger communicator and presenter: “This was my first time presenting research and it’s made me a more vocal leader … I want to continue to speak up for water quality in my community.’’
Eno now works for the Orange County Utilities in Orlando, where he supervises six environmental inspectors in charge of regulating industrial and commercial wastewater facilities. He also serves on the department’s safety committee and ensures that all plants are in compliance with federal regulations.
Tiffany Parrish (Photo courtesy of Marshall)
Parrish, a recent MPH graduate in social marketing, collected data on health care workers and the most common chronic conditions they live with, based on data from the Community Health Worker (CHW) well-being survey distributed throughout Florida.
Her talk, “Florida Community Health Worker Well-Being Survey Findings,” provided insight into the safety of health care workers and the most common chronic conditions they face on the job. Her recommendations include regular employee engagement and buy-in, making mental health monitoring a priority, and requesting funds for related programs.
“It was a wonderful experience to be that voice to promote for CHWs,’’ said Parrish, now a program director for the Health Council of Southeast Florida in Palm Beach Gardens. “The opportunity to network, learn from and share information with other professionals was the biggest benefit to me. Attending the conference opened my eyes to the many opportunities to integrate social marketing tools into research activities.’’
The SERRS conference covered interdisciplinary disaster response, occupational health and safety in emerging diseases, and COVID-19 efforts. Presentations focused on the impact of climate change on outdoor workers; safety training; and safety measures for farmers, restaurant workers, firefighters, miners, construction workers and loggers.
The conference allowed participants to bridge the gap between technical research and practical application, which is core to effective public health, added Nieuwkerk: “Presenting my findings in a regional context emphasized the importance of community-centered, field-ready interventions for real-world impact.’’
USF’s Sunshine ERC is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Like 17 other Education and Research Centers at colleges around the Southeast, it plays a key role in providing national and world leadership to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
“This network is particularly important for maintaining a healthy, safe, stable and effective workforce in our region,’’ Marshall said.