Keene State Safety

🎉 Big news as we kick off the Fall semester! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lito Amit as he steps into the role of Interim Department Chair this semester!

From supporting our amazing students and faculty to helping keep the department running smoothly, Dr. Amit will be taking on a new leadership role—and we couldn’t be more excited to see him in action! 💪

So, if you see Dr. Amit around campus, be sure to say hello, give him a high-five, and wish him an amazing semester! 🙌

Congratulations, Lito! 🎉 And thank you for all you do for our department and our students! 💙

✨ Intern Spotlight

Big things are happening this summer! 👏

Griffin Urnezis is interning with the Environmental Health & Safety Department at Yale University, gaining hands-on experience in industrial hygiene. From noise monitoring to laboratory safety, he’s learning alongside industry experts and building skills that make an impact.

We’re proud to see our students turning classroom knowledge into real-world experience and taking advantage of incredible opportunities.

And did we mention that he lives in a castle this summer? 😎

Keep up the great work, Griffin! 💙

🦉 Owls Represent! ✈️🦺

Last week, Holder Construction flew 8 of our Safety & Construction Management students to Washington, DC for their annual Intern Conference!

Shoutout to Justus, Matt, Owen, Caiden, Alec, Jared, Ben, and Sam, who are gaining hands-on experience at project sites across 6 different states this summer.

A huge thank you to Holder Construction for being a longtime partner and champion of our students—providing incredible internship opportunities and launching careers for Owl graduates year after year.

🚧 Internship Spotlight: Ryan Koshiol 🚧

This summer, Ryan is building his future with PCL Construction at the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility in Denver, Colorado!

As a SOHAS major and CMGT minor, he’s gaining hands-on experience in construction safety and project management on a major infrastructure project.

Ryan’s journey started with opportunities from our biannual Safety & Construction Career Fair—where many students secure internships as early as the fall semester. Even better? Our seniors continue to achieve 100% employment placement with competitive job offers.

👀 Want a behind-the-scenes look at life on a Denver jobsite? Follow along tomorrow as Ryan takes over and shows us what a day in the field looks like!

After nearly a decade of inspiring students in the Safety and Construction Sciences department, this week marked the final lecture and student presentations of Dr. Chris Rennix. 💛

From serving as an epidemiologist in the U.S. Navy to shaping future safety professionals at Keene State College, Dr. Rennix has dedicated his life to protecting and educating others. His stories, wisdom, humor, and mentorship have left a lasting impact on so many students and colleagues over the years.

While we may no longer hear “one last announcement” before class ends, the lessons he shared will continue far beyond the classroom walls.

Thank you, Dr. Rennix, for your years of service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to student success. Wishing you a retirement filled with adventure, relaxation, and plenty of well-deserved time doing the things you love.

Fair winds and following seas, Dr. Rennix! ⚓️🎓

Catch him speak at the Graduation Ceremony on Saturday as the Educator of the Year, and if you see him, don’t forget to congratulate Chris.

Empathy. Resilience. Respect. Compassion.

These were the values our students carried with them following today’s Workers’ Memorial event.

We were honored to welcome Dr. Gerard Ayers, Director of Occupational Health, Safety & Environment and Worker Welfare, who traveled from Melbourne, Australia to emphasize the importance of advocating for workers by influencing leadership at both organizational and governmental levels.

Rena Harrington’s powerful and deeply personal story of her son’s workplace fatality left a lasting impact on everyone in attendance. Her advocacy continues to inspire the next generation of safety professionals to “mourn the dead and fight for the living.”

This meaningful event, made possible through the efforts of Dr. Mike Behm and our ASSP Student Chapter, served as a powerful close to the semester as we head into finals week.

Thank you, Dr. Ayers and Ms. Harrington, for your time, leadership, and inspiration.

Owls on the move at Big Green 🦉💚

Today, two of our safety students got out of the classroom and onto the job site at Dartmouth! Alongside Dr. Launen and Dr. Amit, Joe and Ryan toured the construction of the Thompson Ice Hockey Arena—getting a behind-the-scenes look at real-world safety and project management in action.

From connecting with safety professionals to chatting with the project superintendent, it was a day full of learning, insight, and inspiration.

Huge thanks to for the warm welcome and for investing in the next generation of safety leaders 🙌

Undergraduate research is thriving in our department!

Yesterday, during this year’s Academic Excellence Celebration (AEC), 8 of our students presented their research work.

The topics covered Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics, and Construction Management.

The students collected indoor and outdoor air samples, developed an original shoulders’ musculoskeletal injury risk calculator, surveyed disaster-hit communities through drone use, and explored the topic on professionalism in the safety profession.

We are grateful for the mentorship and dedication of their faculty mentors; Prof. Stephanie Carroll, Dr. Daniel Perrucci, and Dr. Lito Amit.

Congratulations to our students and their mentors! 👏🏻

TDS welcomes future Safety and Construction Sciences owls!

It’s been a busy week for our department. From the Leadership Community Meeting to our Career Fair, we are wrapping up the week with warm smiles and informational chats through our first Admitted Students’ Day today.

We thank our wonderful Student Ambassadors, faculty, future owls and their parents for showing up today.

Resume Help Nights this week and next.