1. Who We Are…
and How we Got Here
Russ Phifer
WC Environmental, LLC
West Chester, PA

2. Who We Are….
• Age
Youngest – Elizabeth Hall, Missouri State
University – age 23
Oldest – Malcolm Renfrew – University of
Idaho (retired) – age 95

3. Age Groups
• 23-35 - 182 members
• 36-50 - 470 members
• 51-65 - 464 members
• 66-95 - 103 members
• (median age – 45)

4. Degrees
• Doctorates
– Chemistry majors - 24%
– Other majors - 7%
• Masters
– Chemistry majors – 13%
– Other majors - 13%
• Bachelors
– Chemistry majors – 40%
– Other majors – 17%

5. Interests
• Aerospace – Agriculture/Food – Analytical –
Biochemistry – Biotechnology – Chemical
Education – Chemical Information –Clinical –
Colloid – Combinatorial – Molecular
modeling – Electrical/semi-conductors –
Energy – Environmental – Forensic –
Geochemistry – Health & Safety – Inorganic
– Legal – Lubricants – Marketing/business –
Medicine – Metals – Nuclear – Organic –
Paints/coatings – Personal care – Physical –
Polymers – Pulp/paper – Rubber –
Soaps/detergents – Textiles - Toxicology

6. What we do/ Where we work
• 25% - “Environmental Health & Safety”
• 30% - Educational facility
• 30% - Industrial facility
• 10% - Consulting
• 10% - Government
(some identified as part of more than one group)

7. Undergraduate Programs in Safety
Illinois State University Purdue Univ.- Calumet
Eastern Kentucky University SE Oklahoma State Univ.
University of Connecticut Univ. of Washington
Columbia Southern Univ. (online) SE Louisiana Univ.
Murray State University Keene State College
Kennedy-Western Univ. (online) Indiana Univ. of PA
Central Missouri State Univ. Northern Illinois Univ.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ. Rochester Inst. Of Tech.
Portland State University Indiana State Univ.
Penn State University Oklahoma State Univ.
Grand Valley State University Texas A&M Univ.
(1st 200 Google pages, undergrad programs only, “safety” in
program name)

8. So……
• How did we all get interested in
chemical health & safety?
– Personal interest
– Through employment
– Personal responsibility

9. Or….
• Inherit it
– Lyle Phifer - Tillmanns-Skolnick Award,
1987
– Russ Phifer – Tillmanns-Skolnick Award,
2005