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Issue 28, November 2025

The Exciting and Fulfilling World of EHS

Luis Maldonado, CSP, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Safety and Health Management from Central Washington University in 2015 and a master's degree in Occupational Safety Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2025. He currently works as an Environmental Health & Safety Engineer II at SpaceX.

Upon receiving one of BCSP's Qualified Academic Program (QAP) Scholarships in 2024, Maldonado shared the following insight into his educational journey and what it means to work in the EHS field.

As an EHS student, my favorite part is learning about the many different topics that can be applied to a broad range of industries. These diverse subjects help me understand many EHS practices that can strengthen my ability to address safety and environmental challenges.

As an Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Engineer, the most fulfilling part is using this knowledge to build a safer, more resilient workplace. I get to collaborate with some of the most talented colleagues, conduct risk assessments, and collaborate on smart solutions.

This is especially exciting when working on projects that push the boundaries of safety. Being able to contribute to initiatives like safe lithium-ion battery handling or new emergency response procedures make my days feel impactful and align with my goal to protect both people and the environment.

EHS was something I became interested in while working as a wildland firefighter, where I saw firsthand the importance of safety, teamwork, and risk management. Later, I found that my school, Central Washington University, offered a program that allowed me to specialize in safety and health management, which matched my career goals better than my original focus in construction management.

If you are considering a career in Environmental, Health, and Safety, it is a field full of meaningful opportunities! There are many paths within EHS, from roles in industrial hygiene, environmental management, and hazardous material handling, to specialized positions in industries like aerospace, manufacturing, and oil and gas. You can own your career and go in many different directions.

If you are passionate about helping others, enjoy problem-solving, and want to make a positive impact, EHS is a career that offers both challenge and reward.

The Latest from the QAP Workgroup

This year’s BCSP Qualified Academic Program (QAP) Workgroup convened during August's Research & Innovation Summit in Indianapolis to discuss further ideas for advancing safety education, strengthening connections, and promoting pathways to BCSP credentials.

Roundtable discussions centered around marketing EHS programs, sharing best practices, challenges in online programs, and ways to improve undergraduate experiences through mentorship, conference participation, and clearer career pathways. Other highlights from the workgroup included:

ASP Blueprint Update

The latest ASP exam blueprint (ASP11) went live on Sept. 1. QAPs — which have earned their distinction by teaching a curriculum that closely aligns with the ASP blueprint — are encouraged to review this updated version. One of the key changes is the addition of content related to Total Worker Health under Domain 6.

QAP Coordinators — Please remember to map your curriculum to the new blueprint by December 15. Reach out to Kathleen Golding (kathleen@bcsp.org) or Serah Kimbrough (serah.kimbrough@bcsp.org) with any questions.

Panel Participation Opportunities

QAP faculty are encouraged to opt in via their BCSP My Profile to receive information on exam development volunteer opportunities. Your expertise can help to shape future BCSP exams. An average of three (3) to five (5) different activities occur each year.

Publishing Research

We are always looking for quality studies to publish in our academic journal SHIFT: Global EHS Research to Practice. If you, your colleagues, or your students have results of a scholarly investigation to share, we encourage you to submit your original research for consideration.

Promoting the GSP

QAP professor Josh Becker of the BCSP Board of Directors and Jordan Geibig of the BCSP Emerging Professionals Committee shared strategies for encouraging students to attain their GSP. Those included educating students on the advantage of applying for their GSP and earning BCSP credentials and encouraging them to create a BCSP account in class or for class credit.

Supporting Collegiate EHS Students and Programs

BCSP is pleased to support young, aspiring EHS professionals and university safety degree programs through scholarships and grants. Each year, BCSP awards up to 40 scholarships to students attending BCSP Qualified Academic Programs (QAPs) to offset expenses related to their pursuit of an EHS degree. BCSP also awards grants to assist safety degree programs with the cost of accreditation or reaccreditation through the ABET or AABI.

Scholarship and grant recipients for 2025 will be announced later this year.

In case you missed the recipients of our 2024 QAP Scholarships, you can view all 40 of them here.

In addition to the BCSP QAP scholarships, the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF), and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Education and Research Foundation provide scholarships to students in occupational safety fields at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The application deadline for the AIHF scholarships is January 26, 2026, while applications for the next AGC scholarships are closed.

AGC Scholarship Information

AIHF Scholarship Information

Listen and Learn from Safety on Location

The role of safety is highly visible in some industries. In others, it may not seem so obvious. But in some form or fashion, safety is everywhere.

Join BCSP CEO Christy Uden for our Safety on Location podcast as she visits inspiring safety professionals to learn why they do what they do, how they build their safety cultures, and just what that looks like in their unique settings.

Listen Now!

Become a BCSP Webinar Presenter

Do you have wisdom or best practices to share? Valuable insights to reveal? BCSP Webinars wants you as a presenter.

To express interest in presenting, please view and complete the Webinar Presenter Interest Form. List your areas of expertise and submit the form for consideration.

If you have further questions, please contact webinars@bcsp.org.

2025 BCSP Scholarship Recipients

Each year, BCSP funds scholarships to outstanding EHS students through the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) and the Association of General Contractors (AGC) of America. Congratulations to these deserving recipients of the 2025 scholarships.

Parker Schwartz

AGC BCSP Scholarship

Pittsburg State University

Grant Warkenthien

AGC BCSP Scholarship

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Ryan Potts

AIHF BCSP Scholarship

Murray State University

Willow Snow

AIHF BCSP Scholarship

Brigham Young University

Have Your Degree and Need a Job?

The BCSP Career Center connects job seekers with prospective employers in the safety, health, and environmental industry at no cost!

Visit the BCSP Career Center today, and start your journey to your dream career in EHS!

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Expand Your Knowledge at GLS '26

The Global Learning Summit (GLS) returns May 5-7, 2026, and you don't want to miss it. Registration is open now.

The best value in EHS professional development, GLS features more than 100 sessions on the most impactful topics of the day ... and it's still just $25.

Learn from leaders in the field and network with thousands of safety professionals around the world. You won't find this level of quality, affordability, and accessibility anywhere else.

Safety Resources Just a Click Away

Searching for free, easily accessible, high-quality safety resources? Look no further than The Hub.

BCSP's digital library equips current and future safety professionals with the tools to protect the people and environment around them. It also features professional development content beneficial for EHS students who will soon be entering the job market.

The Hub offers content in a variety of formats – articles, eBooks, videos, webinars, podcasts, and more – designed for a range of learning styles.

From the aspiring safety professional to the career veteran, The Hub has something to offer. Users with a BCSP profile can log in using their credentials, while new users can sign up for a free account.

Visit The Hub Today

BCSP Presents Inaugural Safety Excellence Awards at R&I Summit

(Left to right): BCSP CEO Christy Uden, Dr. Georgi Popov of the University of Central Missouri, Dr. JuHyeong Ryu of West Virginia University, Dr. Wanda Minnick of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and former BCSP Foundation Board President Travis Kruse.

At the 2025 Research & Innovation Summit in Indianapolis, BCSP presented the first-ever Safety Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate safety programs that make exceptional contributions to the EHS field.

Recipients were selected in two categories — undergraduate and graduate — and received a commemorative award and $2,000 for their program.

2025 Safety Excellence Award Recipients

Undergraduate Safety Excellence Award

University of Central Missouri

Occupational Risk and Safety Sciences

Graduate Safety Excellence Award

West Virginia University

Industrial Management Systems Engineering

Graduate Safety Excellence Award

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering

Promote the Value of BCSP to Your School!

If your academic program is a Qualified Academic Program (QAP), BCSP would like to work with you in making sure individuals seeking quality EHS education know your school produces future leaders.

Contact Serah Kimbrough, Program Manager, Credentialing for more information.

BCSP Credential Holder Directory

The Credential Holder Directory offers a database for verifying individuals' BCSP certification status. The directory is searchable by name, company, location, and more, featuring digital badges and credential information for each credential held.

Discover Powerful Insight from EHS Leaders

Explore My Big Safety Challenge Season 5

EHS students — have you listed to the My Big Safety Challenge podcast yet?

The complete Season 5 is ready and waiting for you wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Learn from real-life safety professionals who have walked the path you will soon be walking.

Season 5 is full of more practical principles for safety practice – like building relationships, seeking progress over perfection, and understanding safety's impact on business. Learn from safety leaders at such notable companies as ESPN, Papa Johns, and Eaton as they offer guidance for the people side of safety.

Brought to you by BCSP and the leadership training experts at Dale Carnegie, My Big Safety Challenge brings you insight from leading safety professionals who have tackled and overcome real-world challenges. In Season 5, DC Master Trainer Dr. Merle Heckman and co-host John Fischer, CSP, Director of Environmental Strategy and EHS Governance at Duke Energy, introduce you to another remarkable lineup of safety leaders.

So next time you pop your ear buds in on the way to class or need something to listen to on your drive home, give a listen to My Big Safety Challenge. Learn from the leaders.

Listen Now

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If you are seeking a speaker, BCSP Ambassadors are trained in presentation and outreach.

Available for conferences, career fairs, addressing students, and a variety of other events, learn more on our BCSP Ambassadors page.

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Have an upcoming job fair, conference, or chapter meeting that you would like to share with readers? Would you like to invite a BCSP representative to attend an event? We would like to hear about it!

Submit information on upcoming events using our new Event Request Form.

The Latest from SHIFT

Does OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application Data Provide Reliable Representation of U.S. Company Injury and Illness Metrics?

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Associate Professor Todd Williams Loushine and graduate student Mike Wolff investigated the consistency and reliability of OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) datasets and their relationship to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) incidence rates.

Read the full article.

Excerpt: "Implications from this study indicate that the OSHA ITA system needs better management to improve employer self-reported 300A data. The validity and reliability of BLS SOII rates are also questioned and demand further investigation."

The SHIFT platform is your platform. Where research prospers, ideas become best practices, and the EHS community collaborates to advance a profession that works smarter and makes lives safer.

Not already subscribed to SHIFT? Subscribe today at no cost to receive the latest research, and help us create a safer future through research and innovation.

Submit Your Research

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