2021 Robert T. Hughes Memorial Awardee

The Robert T. Hughes Memorial Award was founded in 2015 to honor Mr. Hughes, who passed away in late 2014. Robert T. “Bob” Hughes joined the ACGIH Industrial Ventilation Committee in 1976. He served as its Chairperson for 11 years before stepping down in 2001, though he remained dedicated and active on the Committee until his death. This award was established by the ACGIH Board of Directors to recognize outstanding individuals in the field of industrial ventilation. The 2021 Robert T. Hughes Memorial Award recipient is D. Jeff Burton, MS, PE, CIH (VS), CSP (VS).

Mr. Burton earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1967 from the University of Utah and his Master of Science degree in Industrial and Environmental Health in 1970 from the University of Michigan. He is an internationally known engineering consultant and has authored and/or edited several textbooks including Hemeon’s Plant and Process Ventilation; Industrial Ventilation Workbook; Industrial Hygiene Workbook: The Occupational Health Sciences; and the IAQ and HVAC Workbook. He has conducted training courses and self-directed study programs in industrial ventilation and HVAC.

Mr. Burton has served as President (1997–1998) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). He is also a member of ACGIH and ASHRAE. He served as a member of the ACGIH Industrial Ventilation Committee for many years and is a member of the ANSI Z9.5 Subcommittee for Lab Ventilation. Mr. Burton is currently Chair of the ANSI Z9.2 Subcommittee on Industrial Ventilation and the ANSI Z9.10 Subcommittee on Dilution Ventilation. He also served as the Chair of VENT 2006, an international conference devoted to industrial ventilation. Mr. Burton is currently an adjunct faculty member at The Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH) at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Mr. Burton has made significant contributions to both the fields of industrial ventilation and industrial hygiene, and ACGIH is pleased to honor him as the recipient of the 2021 Hughes Memorial Award.