ASSE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS OAKLAND UNIVERSITY'S
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH DEGREE PROGRAM

     DES PLAINES, IL (August 17, 2004) – The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Foundation today announced Oakland University, Rochester, MI, as the recipient of the ‘James A. Oppold Accreditation Fund.' The fund provides financial assistance to colleges and universities seeking Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation of their occupational safety, health and environmental programs both at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Oakland University's Occupational Safety and Health Department will receive a $3,500 grant from the ASSE Foundation. This fund will assist with the university's efforts in obtaining ABET accreditation of its B.S. Occupational Safety and Health degree program. There are currently 11 institutions in the U.S. with ABET accreditation offering various safety-related programs and degrees.

ASSE's Educational Standards Committee develops safety curriculum for degree programs and trains a group of program evaluators to visit and evaluate schools applying for ABET accreditation. ASSE members represent the Society on ABET's Applied Science Accreditation Commission (ASAC) and on the ABET Board of Directors.

The ‘James A. Oppold Accreditation Fund' was established spring 2002 in memory of ASSE's ABET Board representative James A. Oppold, CSP, Ph.D., of Raleigh, NC. An ASSE member since 1975, Oppold actively participated with ASSE and ABET in the accreditation of college and university safety, health and environmental degree programs. He was instrumental in broadening the scope of ASAC and increasing ASSE's role in ABET leadership. Prior to retiring in 1992, Oppold served as director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in North Carolina.

Dr. Mark Friend, CSP, Chair of ASSE's Educational Standards Committee, said, “James Oppold was a wonderful individual, educator and safety professional. He devoted much time and energy to ABET, and this fund honors his efforts in helping universities obtain accreditation of their safety and health degree programs.”

The ASSE Foundation will accept donations for the accreditation fund from members, corporations or any individual who would like to honor the memory of James A. Oppold. To donate to this fund, simply earmark the contribution ‘Oppold Fund' and send it to: ASSE, Att: Foundation, 1800 East Oakton Street, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

Chartered in 1990, the ASSE Foundation is committed to ensuring the future of the

occupational safety and health profession by providing financial resources to individuals and organizations. Funding for the Foundation comes from corporations and voluntary donations from ASSE members - individual and through chapters countrywide for applied safety research, scholarships, fellowships, internships and professional development. For more information on the Foundation and its programs visit www.asse.org/foundat.htm .

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1800 East Oakton St. · Des Plaines, Illinois 60018 · 847-699-2929 · www.asse.org

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