2024 William Steiger Memorial Awardee

The William Steiger Memorial Award honors individuals from the social/political sphere whose efforts have contributed to advancements in occupational safety and health. Tuan N. Nguyen, MBA, CIH, CSP, ARM, FAIHA is the 2024 Steiger Award recipient for making such contributions.

Tuan dedicated over thirty years to the State Compensation Insurance Fund as an industrial hygiene and safety consultant. He holds certifications as an industrial hygienist, safety professional, and Associate in Risk Management, and is a Fellow member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (FAIHA).

At the Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory at the University of California Irvine, Tuan coordinated and conducted research in air pollution inhalation toxicology. He has co-authored several scientific publications on air pollution and nail salon chemical exposure research studies, as well as book chapters on his work in Vietnam.

Tuan has coordinated and participated in international conferences and facilitated the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between various institutes and universities in the United States and Vietnam. He has served as the AIHA Ambassador to Vietnam, Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Ambassador, a member of the Steering Committee of the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, and a Fulbright Specialist Program Alumni (2023).

As a co-founder of the Vietnamese Industrial Hygiene Association (VIHA), Tuan serves on the board of directors. He is also a Member Association Director of the International Occupational Health Association (IOHA). He also served as President of the Workplace Health Without Borders – United States branch for 2022 and 2023, and Tuan is currently serving as president emeritus of the association.

Previous Award Recipients

• 1979 — Congressman David R. Obey
• 1982 — George Taylor (AFL–CIO)
• 1983 — Edgar L. McGowan, Commissioner of Labor, South Carolina
• 1984 — Gershon W. Fishbein, Editor, Occupational Health and Safety Letter
• 1985 — Congressman Joseph M. Gaydos of Pennsylvania
• 1986 — William G. Philips
• 1987 — Sheldon Samuels, Director, Health, Safety and Environment, Industrial Union Department, AFL–CIO
• 1988 — Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia
• 1989 — Richard F. Boggs, Vice President of Organization Resources Counselors, Inc.
• 1990 — Joseph A. Kinney, Executive Director of The National Safe Workplace Institute
• 1991 — David P. Rall, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1971–1990) and Director of the National Toxicology Program (1978–1990)
• 1992 — Molly J. Coye, MD, Director of the Department of Health Services of the State of California
• 1993 — J. Donald Millar, MD, DTPH (Lond.), the Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• 1994 — Eula Bingham, PhD, Professor of Environmental Health; past Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• 1995 — Margaret Seminario, Director of Occupational Safety and Health for the AFL–CIO
• 1996 — James Merchant, MD of the University of Iowa, College of Medicine and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa
• 1997 — J. Davitt McAteer, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Andrea M. Hricko, Deputy Assistant Secretary for MSHA
• 1998 — Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, Winfield Moody Health Center
• 1999 — Gerald F. Scannell, Director, National Safety Council; previously Director of the Office of Standards in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA
• 2000 — Phil Landrigan, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center
• 2001 — James Melius, MD, DrPH
• 2002 — Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY)
• 2003 — Brian Davies, CIH
• 2004 — John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM
• 2005 — Ernest Mastromatteo, CD, MD, DPH, DIH, FABPM (Occ Med), CCBOM, MFOM (London)
• 2006 — Charles E. Adkins, CIH
• 2007 — Earl Dotter, Photojournalist
• 2008 — John L. Henshaw, CIH, MPH
• 2009 — Rosemary Sokas, MD, MSc, MOH
• 2010 — Scott Schneider, CIH
• 2011 — Roger Alesbury, MS, FFOH, CFIOSH
• 2012 — Richard Fairfax, CIH
• 2013 — David Michaels, PhD, MPH
• 2014 — Tom O’Connor, MPH
• 2015 — Garrett D. Brown, MPH, CIH
• 2016 — Vickie L. Wells, MS, CIH, CSP
• 2017 — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
• 2018 — Bennet I. Omalu, MD, MBA, MPH, CPE, DABP-AP, CP, FP, NP
• 2019 — Michael J. Wright
• 2020 — Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
• 2021 — Senator Tom Harkin
• 2022 — Andrea Hiddinga-Schipper
• 2023 — Noel Tresider, AM FAIOH