News

Jun 1, 2022

Public water can have low or undetectable levels of elemental or chemical impurities like metals, pharmaceuticals, household products, disinfectant byproducts, PFAS, and hardness, according to Associate Professor Katherine James.

May 31, 2022

A new report led by researchers from the Dickinson Lab, including Assistant Professor Katherine Dickinson, identifies North Denver as a pollution hot spot thanks to a confluence of factors involving an abundance of industrial businesses, as well as railroad and highway traffic that puts the health of its approximately 50,000 residents at risk every single day.

May 26, 2022

Coloradans should assume there’s a good chance that if they’re in a crowd, someone around them is contagious with the virus, said Beth Carlton, associate professor of environmental and occupational health. Since more people are using at-home tests, it’s hard to get an accurate count of cases, but all the data suggests the virus is widespread.

May 20, 2022

Encore Electric, a leading electrical contractor in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, checks all the boxes. Its workforce checks all the boxes for what the CDC considers to be the highest risk individuals for suicide and mental health issues. Males working in construction between the ages of 16-64 years old.

May 19, 2022

In the newest installment of our Alumni Spotlight series highlighting our graduated trainees, we interviewed Dr. Kevin Walters, an assistant professor of psychology at Fort Lewis College. Walters is a graduate from the MAP ERC's organizational health psychology program and works to empower others to apply psychology to improve their own lives and communities.

May 9, 2022

For many, mental health feels like a private, personal issue. Why bring it up in the workplace? CHWE’s approach to mental health awareness and support is rooted in the understanding that employers have an immense opportunity to impact the mental health of their employees.

May 5, 2022

New COVID-19 cases are relatively low, but increasing steadily. According to Beth Carlton, associate professor of environmental and occupational health, it’s challenging to interpret the latest data due to decreased testing and increased uncertainty as the BA.2.12.1 variant replaces BA.2.

Apr 29, 2022

Researchers from the Center for Health, Work & Environment have completed their first year of data collection for two research grants with agricultural workers in rural Guatemala. The research grants entail three research projects that will span across the next three to five years.

Apr 26, 2022

Most of us are familiar with the concept of micro ergonomics – where machines, the environment, software, and work activities interact with humans. But Natalie Schwatka, PhD, prefers to zoom out a bit further. In her research and graduate instruction, she explores macro ergonomics – specifically how leadership impacts the workplace.

Apr 25, 2022

Michael J. Kosnett, associate adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, discusses the danger of arsenic, an element that was used widely in Victorian England for its striking emerald green pigment.

Apr 22, 2022

“Infections are likely increasing in Colorado. This is based on wastewater surveillance, percent positivity and the recent uptick in COVID-19 hospital demand. The good news, infections and severe disease have been low over the last month – and severe disease is still very low state-wide,” said Elizabeth Carlton, associate professor of environmental & occupational health.

Apr 19, 2022

We don’t often talk about return on investment (or ROI) in academics. We focus on expanding the fields of research, making new discoveries, building capacity, actualizing theories, and engaging communities and individuals in programs. But this past week, the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center and the Environmental and Occupational Health Department of the Colorado School of Public Health, saw a return on the investment it’s made in people – their trainees specifically.

Apr 18, 2022

The Colorado School of Public Health’s scholarships focused on advancing equity, diversity and inclusion have seen an increase in support from the philanthropic community and from faculty, staff and alumni. Here, students Tara Sou and Gilbert Fru share their appreciation for the generosity.

Apr 15, 2022

Going back into the office can feel overwhelming. Lili Tenney, assistant professor and associate director for outreach and programs for the Center for Health, Work & Environment, discusses how workers and employers are facing this new normal.

Apr 15, 2022

The U.S. healthcare system is responsible for nearly 10% of the nation’s carbon emissions. Jay Lemery, associate professor of environmental & occupational Health discusses the need for the industry to decarbonize to fulfill healthcare’s obligation to do no harm.

Mar 29, 2022

Trainees from our Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) recently took an old-school field trip to Fort Carson Army Base. These types of practical, unique learning opportunities are available in abundance to MAP ERC trainees. Each of the center’s six occupational safety and health graduate programs place great importance on interdisciplinary education and first-hand experiences. Our programs prioritize helping students understand and encounter the roles they could have (or work closely with) after graduation.

Mar 15, 2022

For Katherine Dickinson, ColoradoSPH assistant professor of Environmental & Occupational Health, the Boulder County fires in December had a personal impact. Now she's collaborating with researchers across CU campuses and looking to answer policy and health questions that arose after the fire.

Mar 7, 2022

In the wake of the Boulder County fires, ColoradoSPH experts including Dean Jon Samet and Jay Lemery, secondary faculty member, share perspectives on the intersection of climate change, human health and the future of healthcare education.

Mar 7, 2022

With 90% of Coloradans immune to Omicron and the state transitioning to an endemic response plan, COVID-19 restrictions are more relaxed than ever. Despite this positive news, public health experts recommend remaining adaptable due to the ever changing nature of the pandemic.

Mar 3, 2022

Our center stands on three pillars: Research, Education, and Practice. One of the many ways we strive to protect workers is by educating and training future leaders in occupational health and safety. To kick off our Alumni Spotlight series highlighting our graduated trainees, we interviewed Silpa Krefft, a pulmonary and critical care physician and researcher specializing in occupational and environmental lung diseases.