The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) Fellows special interest group (SIG) rose to the challenge put to them at their annual meeting this year and raised an impressive $26,000 toward a Fellows Scholarship fund in only six weeks. That’s a big leap toward the goal of $100,000 -- the amount needed to fund the new scholarship.

The effort came after AIHA Fellows Dave Gioiello and Denese Deeds challenged their colleagues to raise the money in one year.

The first AIHA Fellows Scholarship will be awarded in 2013, under the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation.

Fellows SIG Chair Deborah Imel Nelson, PhD, CIH thanked those who have already contributed and asked the rest of the AIHA Fellows “to consider giving to this wonderful cause.”

Said Nelson; “The scholarships awarded through the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation allow us to continue to support bringing the best and the brightest into the profession.”

The Fellow designation was established to recognize members who have been Full members in good standing for 15 years of continuous membership and have made recognized contributions to industrial hygiene or related disciplines, either through research, leadership, publications, education, or service to AIHA. The Fellow designation is limited to no more than five percent of the membership. There are currently 345 AIHA Fellows.

More information about the AIHA Fellow Program is available at: www.aiha.org/aboutaiha/Pages/AwardsandHonors.aspx.