2020 William Steiger Memorial Awardee

The William Steiger Memorial Award honors individuals from the social/political sphere whose efforts have contributed to advancements in occupational safety and health. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is this year’s Steiger Award recipient for making such contributions.

Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP is founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint, Michigan. A pediatrician, scientist, activist and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has testified three times before the United States Congress, awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and most recently recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC and countless other media outlets championing the cause of children in Flint and beyond. She is founding donor of the Flint Child Health and Development Fund (flintkids.org). A Covid-19 survivor, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has donated her convalescent plasma three times while continuing to advocate for health and racial equity.

With concentrations in environmental health and health policy, Dr. Hanna-Attisha received her Bachelor’s and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed her residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit where she was chief resident. She is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development and a C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University.

Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s work has made a lasting impact on occupational safety and health and ACGIH is pleased to honor her as the recipient of this year’s William Steiger Memorial Award.

Previous Award Recipients

• 1979 — Congressman David R. Obey
• 1982 — George Taylor (AFL–CIO)
• 1983 — Edgar L. McGowan, Commissioner of Labor, South Carolina
• 1984 — Gershon W. Fishbein, Editor, Occupational Health and Safety Letter
• 1985 — Congressman Joseph M. Gaydos of Pennsylvania
• 1986 — William G. Philips
• 1987 — Sheldon Samuels, Director, Health, Safety and Environment, Industrial Union Department, AFL–CIO
• 1988 — Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia
• 1989 — Richard F. Boggs, Vice President of Organization Resources Counselors, Inc.
• 1990 — Joseph A. Kinney, Executive Director of The National Safe Workplace Institute
• 1991 — David P. Rall, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1971–1990) and Director of the National Toxicology Program (1978–1990)
• 1992 — Molly J. Coye, MD, Director of the Department of Health Services of the State of California
• 1993 — J. Donald Millar, MD, DTPH (Lond.), the Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• 1994 — Eula Bingham, PhD, Professor of Environmental Health; past Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• 1995 — Margaret Seminario, Director of Occupational Safety and Health for the AFL–CIO
• 1996 — James Merchant, MD of the University of Iowa, College of Medicine and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa
• 1997 — J. Davitt McAteer, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Andrea M. Hricko, Deputy Assistant Secretary for MSHA
• 1998 — Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, Winfield Moody Health Center
• 1999 — Gerald F. Scannell, Director, National Safety Council; previously Director of the Office of Standards in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA
• 2000 — Phil Landrigan, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center
• 2001 — James Melius, MD, DrPH
• 2002 — Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY)
• 2003 — Brian Davies, CIH
• 2004 — John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM
• 2005 — Ernest Mastromatteo, CD, MD, DPH, DIH, FABPM (Occ Med), CCBOM, MFOM (London)
• 2006 — Charles E. Adkins, CIH
• 2007 — Earl Dotter, Photojournalist
• 2008 — John L. Henshaw, CIH, MPH
• 2009 — Rosemary Sokas, MD, MSc, MOH
• 2010 — Scott Schneider, CIH
• 2011 — Roger Alesbury, MS, FFOH, CFIOSH
• 2012 — Richard Fairfax, CIH
• 2013 — David Michaels, PhD, MPH
• 2014 — Tom O’Connor, MPH
• 2015 — Garrett D. Brown, MPH, CIH
• 2016 — Vickie L. Wells, MS, CIH, CSP
• 2017 — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
• 2018 — Bennet I. Omalu, MD, MBA, MPH, CPE, DABP-AP, CP, FP, NP
• 2019 — Michael J. Wright