UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

It was such a thrill to send off our 79 DEOHS graduates into the world on Friday! We are so proud of you, and we know you'll enlighten the world with your talents and training. 💜💛 Read more at the link in our comments.

We also celebrated exceptional students, staff and faculty:
Outstanding Undergraduate: Emily Do
Outstanding Master's Student: Xinyuan Hao
Outstanding PhD Student: Rebecca Kann
Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award: Emily Hovis
Distinguished Staff Award: Amy Gundlach Ritter

Photos (by Veronica Brace):
1. Our new BS graduates with Dubs Up.
2. Emily Do (center) received the Outstanding Undergraduate Award.
3. Xinyuan Hao (left) received the Outstanding Master's Student Award.
4. Rebecca Kann received the Outstanding PhD Student Award.
5. Assistant Teaching Professor Emily Hovis (left) received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from mentees Mariah Rubin and Gracie Hively.
6. Amy Gundlach Ritter (center), DEOHS graduate program adviser, won the Distinguished Staff Award.
7. Introducing our BS in Environmental Public Health graduates, class of 2026.
8. Our MS Thesis, MS Applied and MPH students celebrate their graduation.
9. Our PhD students celebrate their success and hard work.

University of Washington School of Public Health

Congratulations to our Outstanding Master's Student and Castner Award winner, Xinyuan Hao! An environmental health scientist with a background in architecture, Hao is investigating factors that drive the risk of heat-related illness in Washington state workers.

Her thesis showed that for Washington state workers, heat-related illness increased approximately five-fold when the daily maximum temperature was over 90° F compared to cooler days.

But she also showed that factors beyond the daily high temperature are important in predicting heat-related illness, including how quickly the temperature surges and the same-day minimum temperature.

“What distinguishes Xinyuan most is her ability to connect high-quality methodological rigor with real-world impact,” said DEOHS Professor and Chair June Spector, Hao’s faculty adviser.

Photos (courtesy of Hao):
1. Hao at golden hour on the Seattle waterfront.
2. Hao at low tide on Puget Sound, beachcombing on a weekend getaway with her DEOHS cohort.
3. Hao at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland, a Lake Washington wetland and bird sanctuary.
4. Hao with arms wide under the live oaks at UT Austin.

University of Washington School of Public Health Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

Congratulations to Emily Do, our 2026 Outstanding Undergraduate! The campus group she started, BeautifyUdub, has mobilized more than 400 students in environmental cleanup efforts through hosting nearly 135 events on campus and throughout Seattle over the past four years. The group recently won a Husky Sustainability Award for their efforts. Read more below!

In DEOHS, Do has conducted toxicology research with DEOHS Assistant Professor Judit Marsillach on the health hazards of diesel exhaust, and earned a spot in the prestigious National Environmental Public Health Internship Program, where she worked with the K-12 Schools division of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

“Her work in community mobilization and coalition-building demonstrates her ability to translate environmental health values into meaningful public action,” DEOHS Professor and Chair June Spector said about Do.

Photos:
1. Do presents her research on diesel exhaust and fatty liver disease at the UW School of Public Health Undergraduate Research Symposium. Credit: Elizar Mercado.
2. Do (third from right) with fellow members of BeautifyUDub. Credits for this and subsequent photos: Courtesy of Do.
3. Do (third from left) with Marsillach (third from right) and fellow labmates.
4. Do (front center) and fellow members of the Student Environmental Health Association at a Mariners game.

University of Washington School of Public Health UW Sustainability National Environmental Health Association

So proud of our Environmental Public Health majors who presented at the University of Washington School of Public Health Undergraduate Research Symposium! Their projects span flood preparedness, food safety, microbiology, occupational health, and beyond: learn more below.

Photos by Elizar Mercado:
1. Eden Bogale (left) with DEOHS Professor and Chair June Spector: Ergonomic Video Analysis for Occupational Hazards of Sanitation Workers

2. Karina Gadbaw (right) with DEOHS Professor Karen Levy: Analysis of the Relationship Between Animal F***l Exposure and Microbial Source Tracking Markers

3. Tejasvini Vijay (right) with SPH Dean and DEOHS Professor Hilary Godwin: Preparing for the Flood: Community-Centered Outreach in King County

4. Angelina Durbin: From Climate Communication to Food Safety

5. Francine Javier (middle), with team members Natalya Bale (left, Pre-Science) and Sophia Tsai (right, ): Designing a HIV Prevention Outreach Campaign for Young Adults

6. Emily Cecilia Do: Effects of Diesel Exhaust Exposure on Hepatic Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Signaling in Mice with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

7. Cassandra Sanchez-Franco: Mixed-Methods Survey on WA's 2023 Outdoor Heat Exposure Rule to Reduce Farmworkers' Health Risks

8. Julian Bay (left), with team member Natalie Gaston (Medical Anthropology and Global Health): A National Content Analysis of Community Fridge Donation Guidance and Food Safety Practices

9. Katrina Gunvaldson: Optimization of pronase and chitinase use for enzymatic pretreatment of copepods for Guinea worm eDNA extraction to support programmatic environmental surveillance

10. Bogale with Dean Godwin.

Our 2026 Omenn Lecture featured Dr. Howard Frumkin who explained how nature is a powerful strategy for health promotion. It was wonderful to see students, alumni, department friends and faculty attend the event that honors Gil Omenn and Martha Darling – two incredible supporters of our department and the University of Washington School of Public Health. You can watch the full lecture here:
https://youtu.be/s-bX3AABk_I

Our hearts are with the families affected by the deadly blast at a paper mill in Longview, Washington this week.

DEOHS faculty member Marissa Baker told KATU News that the public should feel confident in guidance coming from environmental agencies, and the greatest risk now is for those involved in the recovery effort.

“I know that’s why care is being taken to make sure that it’s decontaminated, so folks who are part of the recovery and response efforts are able to safely do what they need to do, because touching this chemical could cause those burns,” Baker said.

University of Washington School of Public Health

Greatest risk now in Longview blast is for crews in cleanup, recovery effort, expert says Hundreds of thousands of gallons of the toxic chemical known as "white liquor" were released into the environment this week following the deadly blast.

Here are 3 ways to reduce your exposure to glyphosate, the world's most widely used pesticide.

At the recent Seattle Glyphosate Symposium organized by DEOHS Professor Lianne Sheppard, dozens of scientists urged regulators to protect public health from the widespread w**d killer, which can cause cancer. Learn more at the link in our bio.


3 ways to reduce your glyphosate exposure
1. Choose organic foods where possible. In particular, choose organic options for oats, wheat and legumes like chickpeas, because these conventional crops are sprayed before harvest.

2. Avoid using pesticide products where possible. If you choose to spray them, wear chemically resistant gloves and protect your skin, eyes and mouth from exposure.

3. Avoid areas that have been sprayed with pesticides. If you live in an area where pesticides are routinely sprayed, increase wet mopping and dusting with a wet cloth to keep dust levels low.

University of Washington School of Public Health

Today! Join us to hear about how spending time in nature can benefit our health in our Omenn Lecture with Dr. Howard Frumkin. RSVP to attend in person or via Zoom: https://deohs.washington.edu/omenn-lecture-environmental-health

2–3:30 p.m. Reception and student poster session.
UW Hans Rosling Center (HRC) 280 (lobby above Starbucks)
4–5 p.m. Omenn Lecture with Dr. Howard Frumkin
HRC 155

University of Washington School of Public Health

DEOHS had a great showing at the 2026 Pacific Northwest Safety Symposium this week! Congrats to our students Jeffrey Anyimah, Juliana Moreno, and Vedika Bhat, who were awarded the ASSP Puget Sound Chapter Scholarship.

Photos (courtesy of DEOHS Assistant Teaching Professor Eddie Kasner):
1. Juliana Moreno, Jeffrey Anyimah, Eddie Kasner, Hanrui Zhang, Lucy Daniels and Matthew Ohliger.
2. Celebrating the ASSP Puget Sound Scholarship!

University of Washington School of Public Health

It takes a team to transform food systems education! 🍏 Congratulations to UW Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health and DEOHS faculty members Sarah Collier, Jennifer Otten and Marie Spiker on being awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award for collaborative team teaching from the University of Washington! Learn about their approach at the link in comments.

University of Washington School of Public Health