UNA Hires Dr. Leshan J. Elliott to Fill Industrial Hygiene Program Director Position
Jul. 9, 2015
Florence, AL, July 9, 2015 - Following the retirement of Dr. Crescente Figueroa, the College is proud to welcome Dr. Leshan J. Elliott as the newest addition to their faculty. Dr. Elliott will take over the duties of Program Director of the Industrial Hygiene (IH) overseeing the program’s accreditation through ASAC-ABET as well as maintaining its NIOSH Training Grant. Other duties will include teaching various IH courses, providing academic advising to IH majors, seeking out internship and job opportunities for students, recruitment of new majors – to name a few. The IH Program maintains a diverse advisory board to assist the program director in keeping current on the needs of IH employers in various fields.
Dr. Elliott joins UNA with eight years' experience in the field of industrial hygiene/environmental health and safety, most recently as Senior Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety and Risk Management at Constellium N.V. (formerly, Wise Metals Intermediate Holdings). She also has been an adjunct instructor at both UNA and the University of Alabama. Dr. Elliott holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Public Health, both with concentrations in industrial hygiene and both from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She is a graduate of UNA’s Program in Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry where she was awarded at graduation the prestigious Keller Key for the graduate with the highest grade point average. Dr. Elliott herself was a recipient of the NIOSH Training Program Grant scholarship while at UNA. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. She also holds the top two industry certifications in this field: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP). According to Dr. Elliott, "I'm looking forward to educating new generations of industrial hygiene professionals while committing to research necessary to advance the profession. My current research interests include exposure assessment strategies including quantitative techniques and qualitative modeling." Dr. Figueroa comments, “Dr. Elliott's extended field experience and advanced education in EH&S are a rare combination and will serve her well to lead the Industrial Hygiene Program at UNA.”
Dr. Crescente Figueroa has been the Program Director since 2006 and with the University as a professor of industrial hygiene since 1993. “During Dr. Figueroa’s tenure, the Program’s enrollment has enjoyed tremendous growth”, notes Dr. Carmen Burkhalter, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, “so UNA is fortunate Dr. Figueroa has agreed to remain onboard on a part-time basis for up to two years to assist with the transition.”