​The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to welcome the following students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering.

The IUP AIHA Student Chapter, advised by Dr. Bryan Seal in the Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering, is an active and growing group sponsored by the Pittsburgh AIHA. The chapter connects students with OEHS professionals through meetings, guest speakers, and local section engagement. Many participants come from the SAFETY 215 Communications course, where they strengthen their technical communication skills. With an evolving leadership team and a strong focus on professional development, the chapter provides a valuable pathway for students to bridge their academic studies with future roles in industrial hygiene. Students can get involved through the IUP Safety Sciences Department, contact Dr. Seal directly, or follow the chapter on Instagram at @iupaiha.

Following the recent Local Section Election, we would like to congratulate the following Pittsburgh AIHA members who will begin their term of office this summer!  

• President-Elect:  Josh Maskrey, CIH
• Director: Matt Zock, CIH
• Treasurer:  Frank Porkrywka, Ed.D, CIH

Thank you to our current Committee members. Darrick Bertig, CIH, CSP, CUSA, MS, will conclude his term as President and will be succeeded by current President‑Elect Zane Frund, PhD, MPH, CIH, MBA, who will serve as President through July 2027. Morgan Ryan ends her term as Director. Dane Mitcheson will remain Secretary, and MaryAnn Hoff, MS, MPM, CIH, will continue serving as Director, each through July 2027.  Thank you to Andrew Wright, CIH, CSP, who volunteered as a candidate for Director during this year's election.

A big thank you to all who participate and volunteer for the Pittsburgh AIHA!

The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to welcome new corporate sponsor Audemus EHS and members Adam Butler, CIH, CSP and Dylan Fediaczko, GSP to the Pittsburgh AIHA!  

Audemus EHS provides EHS consulting services for military contracts and general industry with a specialty focus on health and safety. We have offices in Pittsburgh, PA St. Louis, MO, Salt Lake City, UT and Huntsville, AL. We perform work for customers in 37 states and 9 countries globally. We set ourselves apart by providing more efficient, more accurate, simpler, easier to understand solutions at similar prices to what others charge.

The Pittsburgh Local Section would like to thank the National AIHA President, Bradley S. King, PhD, MPH, CIH, for visiting Pittsburgh and addressing our local section on the current and future direction of the AIHA.  Dr. King works as a Senior Industrial Hygienist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Denver, Colorado.  All the local section members in attendance had an opportunity to chat with Dr. King about the AIHA and the profession in general. 

During the presentation, Dr. King highlighted some of the great work being done by members of our local section on the national level.  Following the National AIHA update, Dr. King presented some interesting case studies from his work at NIOSH, which included a discussion of the impacts of heat stress on the upstream oil and gas industry as well as a health hazard evaluation of lead, noise, and heat exposures at an automotive battery recycling facility.  All three topics were appreciated by the audience and provided a great learning opportunity for the student membership as well as the professional members in attendance.

Local Section President-Elect Zane N. Frund, Ph.D., MPH, MBA, CIH did a fantastic job welcoming the attendees and introducing Dr. King.  Dr. Frund, Past-President Barry Momyer, CIH, and members Matt Zock, CIH, and Aaron Fonner sponsored students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), Slippery Rock University (SRU), and Duquesne University to attend the event.  Student attendance at events like these is critical to the future success of the local section.  Therefore, sponsorship of these students was greatly appreciated by the current membership of the local section.  Further, we would like to thank everyone else who volunteered to sponsor a student to attend the event.  Hopefully, word will spread about the event at our local universities, and more students will be in attendance next year.

The Pittsburgh Local Section would also like to thank Matt Zock, CIH and Christy Kirsch for coordinating the event at the LeMont Restaurant on March 5, 2026 as their efforts resulted in everyone in attendance being treated to a wonderful presentation and a delicious lunch.  In addition, we would like to say a special thank you to Kelly Faulisi and U.S. Micro-Solutions, Inc. for being the event’s drink sponsor.

​Thirty-eight (38) members, including eight students from Slippery Rock, Indiana University of PA, and Duquesne University attended the luncheon.  

​Naval Nuclear Laboratory has internship opportunities for college students to spend the summer of 2027 getting great work experience, in great locations, supporting the world's greatest Navy.
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Calling all students pursuing an Occupational Safety & Health and/or Industrial Hygiene degree!  NNL Summer Technical Internships offer you immersive professional experience in the field of Occupational Safety & Health and Industrial Hygiene. This candidate would gain the invaluable opportunity to work with a team of experienced and accomplished occupational safety & health and industrial hygiene professionals to assist with projects in support of the technological development of Bettis Safety Training's safety training curricula. At NNL you are a part of a team working on deliverables that have a direct impact on the Navy’s nuclear fleet. Naval Nuclear Laboratory has internship opportunities for college students to spend the summer of 2027 getting great work experience, in great locations, supporting the world's greatest Navy.

Details are found at the link: https://navalnuclearlab.energy.gov/job-search/job-detail/?job-id=7330

Thank you to all who attended our February 18, 2026 virtual technical session featuring Dr. George Gruetzmacher, a highly respected industrial hygienist with more than 40 years of experience in exposure assessment, engineering controls, and risk communication. The session provided members with a clear, practical walkthrough of AIHA’s exposure assessment strategy and the statistical tools that support more accurate decision‑making in the field. 

Dr. Gruetzmacher began by outlining the challenges industrial hygienists face when evaluating exposure data—particularly the tendency to underestimate exposures when relying solely on professional judgment. He emphasized how heuristics, structured strategies, and statistical methods help reduce bias and improve the reliability of exposure assessments.
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Participants were introduced to AIHA’s iterative exposure assessment strategy, which begins with qualitative evaluations and progresses to quantitative sampling and analysis as needed. Dr. Gruetzmacher highlighted how qualitative tools can be applied through observation, while quantitative tools become essential once sampling data is available.

The session also included an overview of AIHA’s free online analytical tools and training resources, which support statistical evaluation of sampling data. Attendees learned how to locate, select, and apply these tools to determine exposure categories, identify elevated risks, and guide appropriate control measures.

By the end of the presentation, participants gained a clearer understanding of how a structured, statistically informed approach leads to more accurate exposure assessments, better targeting of controls, and ultimately a reduction in occupational illness and disease.

About the Speaker: Dr. George Gruetzmacher is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Safety Professional, and AIHA Fellow with more than four decades of experience in occupational health and safety. He works in the OSHA On‑Site Consultation Program, teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, and serves as a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His extensive background in industrial hygiene, safety management systems, and emergency management made him an exceptional resource for this session.

Special thanks to both Zane Frund, MSA Safety (Pittsburgh AIHA President-Elect / Program Committee Chair), and Joseph Hill (Member Networks Coordinator & LS Liaison, AIHA) for organizing this event!   We would also like to acknowledge the following members / guests who participated in the event:

The Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section held a virtual technical meeting for the month of January entitled “Ethics for Health & Safety Professionals: Making the Right Choices” on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.  Mark Katchen, MS, MBA, CIH, FAIHA presented the interactive session as he provided a practical, real-world look at ethical challenges faced by occupational and environmental health and safety professionals.

He reviewed key ethical principles, examined how professional codes of conduct apply in practice, and worked through case studies involving conflicts of interest, reporting integrity, confidentiality, and emerging issues such as AI.  Mr. Katchen is a Managing Principal of The Phylmar Group, Inc., where he leads several national and global roundtables for OEHS professionals. He has more than 35 years of experience in occupational and environmental health, regulatory strategy, and organizational ethics.

The virtual event was coordinated and moderated by Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section President-Elect Zane N. Frund, Ph.D., MPH, MBA, CIH and AIHA Member Networks Coordinator & LS Liaison Joseph Hill.  Following the event, Mr. Hill sent an email to all attendees containing the agenda, the attendee log, and their certificate of completion.

All of the attendees left with actionable strategies to strengthen ethical decision-making and navigate complex workplace dilemmas with confidence.  The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to extend a big thanks to Mr. Katchen for his presentation.  We would also like to thank Mr. Frund and Mr. Hill for coordinating and moderating the event.

Finally, we would like to thank the following members and guests who attended the event:

We're excited to share the latest edition of the Pittsburgh AIHA News – Winter 2026! This issue is packed with updates, upcoming events, and important news for our members and the broader occupational and environmental health and safety community.  What's Inside:

• A message from President Darrick Bertig recapping a successful 2025 and previewing the year ahead, including details on the March 5 President’s Luncheon.
• Key deadlines for the 2026 Pittsburgh AIHA Election, with nominations due February 28, 2026.
• Access information for the 2026 National AIHA eLearning Subscription, noting that “the National AIHA sent an eLearning notice to subscribers on 2/15/26.”
• New member announcements, corporate sponsor recognition, and national AIHA updates--including the February 24 Government Relations Town Hall.
• Technical features and professional insights, including OSHA’s 2026 priorities and a science spotlight on recent proton‑radius research.
• A reminder that 2026 membership renewals are past due, with instructions for both National and non‑National AIHA members.

You can read the full newsletter HERE. It’s a great way to stay connected with everything happening across the Pittsburgh Local Section.