Region II Safety Professional of the Year Steven M. Thygerson, PhD., MSPH, CIH

Steven M. Thygerson, PhD., MSPH, CIH
Professor – Environmental and Occupational Health at Brigham Young University
Steve has been the BYU Student Section Advisor, Mentor, and ASSP Utah Chapter board member for more than 10 years
Steve takes Safety and the welfare of people very seriously, and uses his knowledge, skills and personality to help them live, work and learn safely. He is and has been a dedicated safety professional, and has developed trainings, process and techniques to assist any and all to know and understand ‘what good safety looks like. Steve has a great and unusual skill of instructing, teaching and training others. This characteristic is used in most all aspects of Steve’s professional and personal life – working with his students, faculty members, safety peers, family and friends. I have personally seen and benefited from Steve’s knowledge, skill passion and leadership in these regards over these years. Steve is loved and admired by his students, those who he has worked around and within various parts of the world.
In addition to his excellent work as a Professor at BYU – I have been a colleague instructor with Steve at the Utah Safety Council for over 12+, working with Steven in planning, preparing, instructing and reviewing many of their courses. Steve is one of the core instructors for the Advanced Safety Certifications for the National & Utah Safety Councils, along with various other courses taught through these organizations. Without fail, these Students and staff members are always treated to the knowledges, skills and passion in which Steve brings to the courses.
Steve has written or collaborated on over 50 books, articles & publications and has presented on over 60 conferences/presentations. All of which have benefited people World-wide, and has advanced the Safety Profession. Steve continuously seeks for safety internships, and promotion of others within the Safety Profession – seeking to continually make a difference to Utah and the World. Steve is currently leading an effort to unite the collaborative efforts for Safety unification for the major Universities within the State of Utah.
Other Info:
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Thygerson is a dedicated mentor. He has guided hundreds of students formally and informally, and since 2010, he has served as the faculty advisor for the ASSP Student Section at BYU.
he also advises the BYU Public Health Association (BPHA) and recently helped establish an AIHA student association—demonstrating his commitment to nurturing future leaders in OSH
Dr. Thygerson directs seven global health internship programs, providing students with transformative international experiences where they apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
Dr. Thygerson has since shifted his research to building OSH capacity in developing countries. He collaborates with universities across the globe, including institutions in Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and many others. Dr. Thygerson’s groundbreaking research on workplace hazards in brick kilns has established him as a leading expert in this area.
He is a sought-after presenter at local OSH conferences, particularly in industrial hygiene short courses. In recognition of his service and expertise, Dr. Thygerson was awarded the Utah Safety Professional of the Year, the Regional Safety Professional of the Year, and the AIHA Meritorious Achievement Award—an unprecedented combination of honors that underscores his influence and commitment to the OSH profession.
Get to Know a Safety Pro
Check out Region II’s very own Amanda Welch, Colorado Chapter President, on the most recent “Get to Know a Safety Pro”!
https://youtu.be/0ntSTqndfZI?si=5RfcnWqd7qHJ7tO2

Congratulations!
News from the NM Chapter – Kelsey Forde and Tim Stirrup wrote a chapter in a soon-to-be published book,
Mine Safety Handbook | Approaches from the Field
Editor Emily Haas (from NIOSH – also a good visible LinkedIn @ tag)
New Chapter Year
It’s a new Chapter Year! Please make sure that your Chapter websites, social media, etc. are update with any changes in leadership.
Remember, chapter leadership training can be found on the ASSP website once you log in under “My Account”.