Dean Recommends Closure Of Wayne State's OEHS Program
DETROIT (WWJ) - A Wayne State University Dean has recommended the closure of the school's Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences (OEHS) program, which is rated as one of the top five programs of its kind in the world.
Dean Lloyd Young, of the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State University, informed school staff of his recommendation to eliminate the OEHS program to the school's Board of Governors. He stated his recommendation is strictly due to budgetary constraints.
Although the WSU OEHS program already operates on a limited budget, it is considered one of the top five Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) programs in the world. The OEHS program is accredited by the American Board of Engineering Technologies, and the program's faculty is nationally recognized in the fields of industrial hygiene and toxicology. Many OEHS graduates remain in Michigan, enhancing the working environment in manufacturing industries including automotive, government, health care, academia and consulting.
Dr. Edward Kerfoot, OEHS program director and retired Director of Toxicology and Industrial Hygiene at BASF Corporation, called the possible elimination of the program a travesty, adding the program has turned out thousands of competent, well-trained EHS professionals for decades.
Dean Young, a native and long-time Californian, has resided in Michigan and been Dean at WSU for two years.
The Wayne State University Board of Governors will meet on September 21 to determine the final fate of the OEHS program.
