• Increase your visibility and build your reputation among fellow professionals
• Earn certification maintenance/professional development contact hours
• Discover new opportunities for dialogue and discussion
• Build support and interest for the topics you’re passionate about
• Gain approval to attend AIHA Connect from your organization
• Share insights
• Establish credibility
• Inspire colleagues
• Expand your CV
• Advance worker safety
• Network with thousands of OEHS professionals
• Gain visibility for your research and ideas
• Demonstrate your subject matter expertise
• Earn an honorarium (PDC Presenters only)

The AIHA Connect audience includes persons involved in occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS), with a strong emphasis on industrial hygiene. Here's a breakdown of the typical attendees:

Primary Audience

• Industrial Hygienists - Experts in identifying, evaluating, and controlling workplace hazards (chemical, physical, biological)
• Occupational Health & Safety Professionals - EHS (Environment, Health, Safety) specialists focused on protecting worker health
• Credentialed professionals - CIHs (Certified Industrial Hygienists), CSPs (Certified Safety Professionals), and others
• Occupational Medicine & Public Health Experts - Physicians, nurses, and researchers focused on workplace health impacts
• Environmental Health Scientists - Professionals working at the intersection of the environment and human health
• Students and Early Career Professionals - The new generation of OEHS professionals who will lead the profession into the future and are attending to network, learn, and explore career paths in OEHS

Types of Organizations Represented

• Corporations with internal EHS departments (manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tech, oil & gas)
• Consulting firms specializing in health and safety services
• Government agencies (e.g., OSHA, NIOSH, EPA)
• Universities and research institutions
• Product vendors and service providers related to OEHS

Audience Interests & Needs

• Best practices in risk assessment, exposure science, and hazard control
• Practical real-world applications
• Content for every audience level (technicians, practitioners, and professionals)
• Emerging technologies in sensing, data analytics, and PPE
• Regulatory and standards updates
• Professional development and certifications prep (i.e., CIH exam prep)
• Leadership and management skills
• Workplace safety innovations (i.e., indoor air quality, noise, ergonomics)

Core Competencies

To align our educational offerings with Core Competencies for the Practice of IH/OH, AIHA Connect is now categorizing submissions by Core Competencies rather than topic areas. Core competencies encompass the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control workplace health hazards and are essential for success in the field. These competencies help distinguish a competent OEHS professional and are foundational to practice, guide education and training, and align with industry standards and ethical expectations. View the Core Competency definitions and topical relationships to assist in making the best selection for your submission.

Targeted Audience (IH/OH Practice Level)

In addition to tagging your session's Content Level, you will be asked to assign a targeted audience aligning with one of the three basic levels of practice in IH/OH from the AIHA Core Competencies (Technician, Practitioner, or Professional).

Worker Exposure Data and/or Results

To improve the accuracy of exposure judgments and determine the tools being used to do so, you will be asked if worker exposure data and/or results of worker exposure data analysis will be presented as part of your session. If so, you will be asked to describe the statistical methods and tools used for the analysis.

Peer Review Group Selection

Each AIHA Connect proposal submission receives a bi-level review. First, technical reviewers serve as subject matter experts, reviewing submissions to ensure they are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. The technical review process occurs before review by the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) or Conference Program Committee (CPC) and assists the relevant committee in selecting the final content to be presented as the education program. You will be asked to self-select the technical review group best suited to serve as the subject matter experts for peer review of your submission based on the primary topic to be presented.

The following are high-priority topics reflecting the current needs of attendees, both topically and in overall conference programming:

• Big Data & AI: OEHS professionals are increasingly leveraging advanced sensor technologies, AI-driven tools, and integrated data management systems to enhance risk assessment and inform decision-making. As the profession evolves, practitioners are expected to build competencies in applying sensor data and analytics to develop comprehensive profiles of hazards and exposures, while utilizing standardized platforms that enable efficient data transfer, analysis, and aggregation. Central to this advancement is a commitment to the responsible and ethical use of these technologies—ensuring data privacy, minimizing bias, and safeguarding against misleading or unintended outcomes—so that innovation strengthens, rather than compromises, worker health and safety.
• Leadership & Management: Submissions that explore how leadership and management excellence can strengthen the impact of the OEHS profession. We welcome presentations that advance practical leadership principles, cultivate effective management strategies, and build leadership competencies across technical and organizational roles. Topics of interest may include developing emerging leaders, leading high-performing OEHS teams, influencing organizational decision-making, fostering a strong safety culture, navigating change and uncertainty, applying emotional intelligence and communication skills, and integrating leadership practices into technical work. Submissions that offer real-world case studies, tools, or frameworks that empower OEHS professionals to lead with confidence and drive meaningful outcomes are especially encouraged.
• Thermal Stress: Thermal stress remains a growing and complex risk across industries, requiring OEHS professionals to apply evolving science, tools, and practical strategies to protect workers in both hot and cold environments. We invite submissions that address innovative approaches to assessing, monitoring, and controlling thermal stress, including the application of emerging tools, real-time data, and predictive models to inform decision-making. Topics of interest may include heat and cold stress prevention programs, physiological monitoring, indoor and outdoor exposure challenges, regulatory and standards updates, and lessons learned from field implementation. Presentations that highlight practical solutions, case studies, or advancements in tools, such as heat stress assessment methods, workplace applications, or integration into broader health and safety programs, are especially encouraged to support the profession in advancing worker protection.
• Toxicology: Communicate to workers the occupational risks based on the interpretation of toxicological data and OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) and ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLV)®, interpret the GHS product labels and safety data sheets (SDS) to communicate hazards to workers, review workplace exposure data to evaluate; characterize adverse health effects, and recognize occupational diseases and attribute them to a hazardous workplace chemical.
• Stewardship and Sustainability: This priority focuses on how OEHS professionals support sustainable practices by minimizing waste, conserving resources, and preventing pollution, ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and that work environments are safe now and into the future without degrading natural or human resources. Subtopics of particular interest include TSCA and PFAS.
• Total Worker Health®: This priority focuses on ensuring OEHS professionals are positioned to be leaders and valued participants in preventing harm and protecting and promoting worker well-being (including mental health using tools such as Total Worker Health®, Exposomics, and Total Exposure Health). They are recognized as the preeminent experts in the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of exposures to environmental and physical agents and psychological stressors in the workplace, home, and community. This topic includes describing how workplace stressors and stress impact worker health, safety, and well-being; identifying, collecting, analyzing, and protecting data and information on worker health, safety, and well-being to support Total Worker Health® approaches; and describing and demonstrating how IH/OEHS professionals are exposure scientists that anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control all potentially hazardous exposures, including exposures beyond the workplace.

Other highly desired topics include:

• Air Sampling/Instrumentation Analysis: Select appropriate air sampling/analytical methods and explain how the parameters of those methods affect the sampling and analysis; determine an appropriate sampling strategy in consultation with your IH laboratory; select laboratory analytical procedures and apply appropriate methods of detection for sample analyses; describe the types of chemicals that can be analyzed by different instruments.
• Changing Work Dynamics: This priority focuses on educating OEHS professionals on the implications of the changing work dynamics (i.e., worker, workplace, working relationships, new technologies, or new work processes) and how the OEHS community can respond to protect human health in the workplace and community. Identifying new health hazards introduced into the workplace and appropriate control strategies, keeping current with new technology being introduced into the workplace (nanotechnology, 3D printers, robotics, biological engineering, synthetic biology), and describing the potential hazards presented by new technologies and what exposure pathways exist.
• Chemical Hazards: Implement measures to prevent or control exposures to hazardous materials or agents; recognize different types of chemical hazards by characteristics (toxic, reactive, ignitable/flammable, and corrosive); conduct risk assessments associated with exposures to hazardous materials; identify mitigation strategies for exposure to welding fumes, volatile organic compounds, and crystalline silica; apply knowledge of effects of exposure, dose-response relationships and disease potential, as well as the effect of particle size and shape; design controls to reduce or prevent exposures to hazardous materials and agents.
• Communicating IH Concepts: Communicate exposure risks to employees and management; translate technical information into language easily understood by those without IH/OHES backgrounds; clearly communicate how IH/OEHS skills contribute to the well-being of the organization; explain the value of IH/OEHS risk assessment and risk management in terms of financial and nonfinancial benefits.
• Engineering Controls/Ventilation: Review design drawings and verify equipment complies with applicable codes and standards.
• Enhancing OEHS Communication Skills: This priority focuses on developing the interpersonal skills of OEHS professionals to listen, relate, communicate, educate, and collaborate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders to enhance the influence and value of the OEHS profession in a dynamic social-technological landscape.
• Ergonomics: Recognize potential ergonomic risks factors of the job; recognize worker symptoms, which may be caused by ergonomic risk factors of the job.
• Exposure Assessment: Choose appropriate sampling and analysis methods to determine exposures; identify and document critical information about agents, processes, activities and workforce; make accurate qualitative exposure judgments; define the goals and purpose of an exposure assessment; determine criteria for exposure acceptability.
• Hazard Communication: Ensure Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each hazardous chemical are readily available and accessible to employees, contractors, and third parties working on-site; develop and conduct training programs to educate employees about the hazards of chemicals they may encounter, as well as how to read SDSs and labels; review an organization's existing programs and procedures to verify alignment with regulatory requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS); create a written program that outlines how OSHA's HCS will be implemented in a workplace; work closely with other departments, such as purchasing, operations, human resources/industrial relations, medical, and risk management, to ensure a coordinated approach to hazard communication; apply knowledge about possible action thresholds and factors that would influence the hazard communication program.
• Health Risk Analysis: Participate in overall risk analysis and management of a health hazard, process, or workplace; evaluate potential risks of previously unrecognized hazards; identify potential risks of complex/complicated exposure scenarios.
• Human Capital: This priority relates to human capital and environmental, social, and governance (HC/ESG) organizational and public policy topics. It focuses on the integration of HC/ESG with management systems, auditing, Total Worker Health®, and training, HC/ESG disclosures and metrics, and rating agency criteria. It also includes integrated reporting, leadership training, public policy related to consensus standards development, regulatory agency activities, legal rulings, and European Union activities. Includes the development of integrated thinking skills that include insights from many fields of practice (e.g., engineering, public health, material science, economics, cognitive science, nursing, medicine, product stewardship).
• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ/IEQ): Thoroughly conduct walkthrough inspections to identify potential sources of IAQ/IEQ concerns; identify the possible sources of odors, irritants, contaminants, and other stressors that contribute to indoor environmental quality; demonstrate an understanding of the definition of acceptable IAQ/IEQ.
• Noise/Hearing Loss Prevention: Identify and select the correct criteria for assessing noise exposure; select the most appropriate equipment for sampling.

AIHA will offer the following tracks for programming:

• Student and Early Career Professionals Track: The Student and Early Career Professional Track showcases the research initiatives of students and early career professionals across the country and provides targeted content offerings to this audience as they navigate their entry and professional growth within the occupational health and safety field. Submitters self-select their presentations for this track with a final review and approval by the Conference Program Committee.

1. Education Sessions (60 minutes) take place Monday through Wednesday. These sessions address topics in OEHS and are delivered in any format (traditional lecture to interactive problem-solving). We encourage sessions that involve the participants and create an engaging educational experience. Education Sessions can involve a single presenter or up to a maximum of three presenters. The deadline for education session submissions is September 9, 2026. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
2. Research Roundups take place Monday through Wednesday and combine case studies or scientific research presentations (each 30 minutes in length with a single presenter) addressing a similar, general topic to create a single 60-minute "Research Roundup."
   1. Case Study (30 minutes) – A case study focuses on a problem-solving approach in a specific situation. These presentations should describe applications of knowledge to real-world problems or an actual situation that was investigated or tested. Instructional-type abstracts (e.g., describing a new methodology or equipment) should be submitted under this format. Abstracts and presentations based on professional practice must clearly present the situation or problem at issue, the resolution to fix the problem, and the results and lessons learned. Case studies may include up to one presenter. The deadline for case study submissions is September 9, 2026. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
   2. Scientific Research (30 minutes) – These presentations focus on generating new knowledge and understanding of basic mechanisms of a physical, chemical, or biological agent. Abstracts and presentations based on this type of research must have a research objective, detailed methods, results, and data-driven conclusions. Scientific research may be conducted in the laboratory, on a sample of study subjects, or in a sample of facilities or situations. Scientific research may also include data review and analysis. Scientific research may include up to one presenter. The deadline for scientific research proposals is September 9, 2026. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
3. Professional Development Courses (PDCs) are held before and after the conference, on Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday. These courses are in-depth, concentrated, formal learning experiences designed to broaden knowledge and enhance technical competence. A PDC can be a half-day (4 hours), full-day (8 hours), or two days (16 hours) in length. The deadline for PDC submissions is September 9, 2026. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
4. Professional Posters – OEHS professional posters summarize your research and generate discussion and feedback. The deadline for Professional Poster submissions is September 9, 2026. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
5. Education Pop-Ups (25 minutes) are short, interactive sessions designed to deliver bite-sized, timely, targeted learning. Pop-ups can involve a single presenter or up to a maximum of three presenters. The deadline for Education Pop-Up submissions is January 13, 2027. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
6. Student Posters are student-driven research presentations presented in a poster format. An exclusive "Student Poster Author Attend Time" enables students and attendees to interact, creating connections with professionals in the field and providing recognition for the student's educational institution. Student poster submissions follow a separate review timeline reflecting university schedules. The deadline for Student Poster submissions is March 10, 2027. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.
7. Student Presentations (60 minutes) showcase student research efforts as part of the Students and Early Career Professionals Track. Each session within the track is with a maximum of three presenters (20 minutes each). This research should not be duplicative of a student poster being presented at the conference. The deadline for Student Presentation submissions is March 10, 2027. Download a worksheet to help prepare your online submission.

Adults learn in a variety of ways and are more motivated to learn when they see the direct application of the material. Including activities and participant driven discussion in your session can make an enormous difference in attendee engagement, retention of knowledge, and overall satisfaction. Involving your audience will make attendees feel like they are part of the conversation. We ask that you consider working one or more of the suggestions below in your presentation.

• Incorporate a live poll into your slide deck to get audience feedback, help guide your presentation, or as a quiz tool
• Use slides throughout your presentation as quick quizzes and ask the audience to answer or fill in the blanks within your slide
• Perform a demo and have an audience member participate in it
• Divide your audience into small groups to discuss the topic among themselves and share their discussion with the larger group afterward
• Plan an interactive game and ask your audience to participate.
• Ask your audience to share their experience about the topic.
• Include case studies and other real-world practical application examples in your talk.
• Place Q&A opportunities in the middle of the presentation to keep the audience engaged and participatory. Even if you don't answer the questions right away, the unexpected invitation to ask a question can encourage audience members to speak up.

Each PDC submission receives a bi-level review. First, a technical reviewer serves as the subject matter expert and reviews submissions to ensure they are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. The technical review process occurs before review by the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) and assists the committee in selecting the final content to be presented as the education program. View a flowchart of this process. 

Technical Review questions include:

• Is the topic: New/Emerging, Core/Foundational, Waning (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The proposal has a sound technical basis (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The course description is clear and concise (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Learning Outcomes are appropriate for level (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The outline describes content appropriate for selected course level (introductory, intermediate, advanced) (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The outline describes content appropriate for selected target audience (technician, practitioner, professional) (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Are the selected core competencies designated appropriately? (Yes/ No)
• Recommendation to the CEC (Accept or reject)
• Comments (Open text box)

How the CEC reviews PDCs:

• Each proposal is evaluated by at least two members of the CEC to ensure it is relevant to the profession, titled properly, and meets its stated objectives. Course outline and teaching methods are critiqued, and presenter credentials/biographies are reviewed.
• The Committee then considers all proposals and their ratings to ensure topical balance within the program, educational needs expressed by member surveys, and AIHA’s strategic goals.
• For courses previously conducted, student evaluations play a major factor in the review.

How PDCs are selected:

• Wide range of topics aligned to the IH/OH Core Competencies
• 20% technician, 50% practitioner, 30% professional
• 20% introductory, 50% intermediate, 30% advanced
• 60% full-day, 35% half-day, 5% two-day
• One PDC addressing each of the CPAG content priorities
• At least 40% new courses each year
• Top 5 courses from the previous year (based on ratings and attendance) automatically accepted
• Final selections are limited by the number of rooms available to us at the convention center

When does the CEC not accept a PDC proposal?

Many more proposals are submitted than can be accommodated at AIHA Connect. Reasons for not selecting a particular course include:

• relevance to the members
• accuracy of technical information presented
• previous student evaluations
• an overabundance of course offerings in one area
• content similar to another course
• need for course rotation
• lack of interest by the members at large

Each proposal receives bi-level review. First, technical reviewers (selected from an open call for volunteers within the AIHA membership) serve as the subject matter experts, ensuring the submissions are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. There is no cap on the number of reviewers, but each proposal will have at least two technical reviewers evaluate content. The technical review process occurs before the review by the Conference Program Committee (CPC) and assists the CPC in selecting the final content to be presented on the education program.

In addition to scores and feedback from technical reviewers, the CPC utilizes ratings from previous conferences to inform the selection process. Finally, data from AIHA surveys help to identify content priorities and needs for the current year’s conference. The review process is blind, and speaker information is not shared.

The CPC reviews all proposals to ensure a balance of topics. Tracks are identified based on accepted proposals. If there are content gaps, the CPC may choose to reach out to specific members or committees for curated presentations. Where there are major shifts in current events, sessions may be added outside of the official review process. The merit of these sessions will be determined by the CPC on a case-by-case basis.

Technical Review questions include:

• This presentation will be of interest to the AIHA Connect audience. OEHS professionals are seeking relevant, cutting-edge education that will provide challenging, yet practical information. (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The content of this presentation is current and relevant to OEHS professionals. The intent of the conference is to provide OEHS professionals with sessions that will expand their current knowledge and understanding of a topic, or that will introduce them to something new they would find interesting (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• This proposal is clear, well-organized, and well-written. It is important that the session is easy to read and understandable to attendees (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Are the selected core competencies designated appropriately? (Yes/ No)
• Is the abstract content level designated appropriately (introductory, intermediate, advanced)? (Yes/ No)
• Is the abstract audience level designated appropriately (technician, practitioner, professional)? (Yes/ No)
• Does this session seem to contain a sales pitch or promote a specific vendor or service? (Yes/ No)
• Recommendation to the CPC (Accept or reject)
• Comments (Open text box)

Why would the committee not accept a proposal?

Many more proposals are submitted than can be accommodated at AIHA Connect; therefore, the CPC must be selective when choosing content to offer, given limited space at the convention center. Reasons proposals are not accepted include:

• Poor writing, inaccurate technical information, or a lack of significant data findings. To be eligible for presentation, there should be data findings that attendees would find relevant and useful in their daily work.
• Lack of audience appeal and relevance to the profession. While worthwhile, some topics may be better suited to a webinar or magazine article than to a session at the conference.
• Too many proposals in any given topic area. The CPC selects proposals that touch on different aspects of the same issue, ensuring there is a good balance of information and viewpoints represented at the conference. Furthermore, the CPC also reviews content to ensure that it aligns with the educational needs expressed by AIHA members, as well as with AIHA’s strategic goals.

Tips For Presenting At Connect 2026 Featuring Renee Hartsook

Tips For Presenting At Connect 2026 Featuring Bill Beadie