By Mike Greife,
May 5, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO - John Zey, Warrensburg, professor of safety sciences in the School
of Environmental, Physical and Applied Sciences at the University of Central Missouri,
has been named an AIHA Fellow by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
Zey joins his peers in receiving an honor bestowed upon only five percent of the group’s
membership. He will receive the honor during the AIHA Fellow Special Interest Group
meeting June 6 in Seattle. He also will be honored during the Mark of Excellence Breakfast
the next day.
A native of central Missouri, Zey earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s
degree in industrial hygiene from UCM and a doctorate in educational leadership from
the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to teaching and serving as program
coordinator for Master of Science degree in Industrial Hygiene, he has served on various
college committees, the promotion and tenure committee for two academic colleges,
and in the UCM Faculty Senate.
He joined the faculty of UCM in 1996 following a 20-year career as a commissioned
officer with the U.S. Public Health Service, assigned to the National Institute of
Safety and Health. While at NIOSH, he conducted industry-wide studies evaluating employee
health outcomes from exposure to cotton dust, acrylonitrile and asphalt fumes. He
worked in the NIOSH Education and Information Division, developing and serving as
course director for three NIOSH courses and served as project officer for 20 project
training grants.
Zey served as chair of the Communication and Training Methods Committee for AIHA,
chair of the AIHA Academic Sig, and president of the Mid-America Chapter of AIHA.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers and join others, including more than 40
UCM alumni who also have taught and served on advisory board for the UCM program,
in receiving this recognition,” Zey said.
“John is always willing to put in extra time and effort to help students reach their
academic and career goals,” said Leigh Ann Blunt, chair of the School of Environmental,
Physical and Applied Sciences. “He takes the initiative to really get to know his
students and genuinely cares about their success.”
