Research Day 2026: Training Today's Researchers for Tomorrow's Workforce

April 15th marked the 17th annual Research Day symposium hosted by the Centers for Health, Work, and Environment, and in partnership with the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center, the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), and Colorado State University (CSU). Research Day brings together graduate students and trainees from across Colorado to connect, learn, and engage with public health. This year’s theme, Training Today's Researchers for Tomorrow’s Workforce, fostered a special interest in networking and career growth, as student participants learned new leadership and training skills.

Cathy Bradley, PhD, Dean of ColoradoSPH and Deputy Director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, opened the day with an inspiring message reminding students at Research Day that their practice-first mindset gives them a competitive advantage they will carry throughout their careers. To close out her speech, Dean Bradley noted, "There is too much good science sitting on shelves." She went on to underscore that ColoradoSPH, along with other partners on and off campus, are closing that gap through community engagement and practice-first innovation and learning. 

This year’s keynote address was delivered by Nick Williams, TWHc, CEO of the American Subcontractors Association of Colorado and CEO-President of R.I.S.E LLC. Williams, an alumnus of the ColoradoSPH Total Worker Health^® Certificate Program, discussed the current systems and policies at work that protect America’s construction and labor workers. The current model, however, fails to address worker mental health, a consequence that is costing the industry lives.

"This is where my perspective began to shift,” said Williams. “Through my experience at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, and specifically through the Total Worker Health approach, I was introduced to something fundamentally different. A model that doesn’t separate safety from health… or health from wellbeing. It integrates all of it. It recognizes that the worker is not just a role or a system. They are a human being.” William’s encouraged students to pursue opportunities for leadership and collaboration both in their research and in the field.

“We don’t save lives through policy alone. We save lives through connection, through leadership, and through applied research.” 

This year’s Research Day was attended by 138 graduate students, trainees, educators, and community collaborators. Participants engaged with 9 primary platform presentations from students at the CU Anschutz Medical and CSU Fort Collins campuses, as well as more than 30 floor presentations ranging in topics from wildfire prevention to worker safety and harm reduction. Plus, opportunities to network with highly experienced environmental and occupational researchers and specialists.

Additional presentations included a warm welcome by Professor and Chair of the Department of EOH, Elizabeth Carlton, PhD, MPH, and Professor and Environment + Worker Health and Safety Targeted Research Training Program Associate Program Director Sheryl Magzamen, PhD, MPH. Magzamen shared her testimony as a source of hope amid a changing public health landscape.

“We know that everyone in this room embraces occupational health research and practice, and it is also incumbent upon us to encourage others to join our cause. We’re here to do that together – let’s make sure we continue these conversations in leadership, research, and practice.”

In the afternoon, attendees heard from a panel of four alumni, representing programs ranging from Occupational and Environmental Medicine to Industrial Hygiene. The group, led in discussion by CHWE Director of Outreach and Programs Lili Tenney, DrPH, MPH, conversed over career lessons from the field.

To round out the day, Lee Newman, MD, MA, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centers for Health, Work & Environment, delivered a motivating closing speech. Newman thanked students for continuing to conduct high-quality environmental and occupational research throughout the last year of uncertainty. Their perseverance and passion for safety science are what set them apart. 

At its core, Research Day seeks to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our MAP ERC trainees and students, as well as students pursuing graduate degrees in environmental and occupational health at ColoradoSPH. Their resilience in the face of new challenges is a testament to their passion for research and community.

Award Sponsors & Winners

This year, outstanding student work was recognized across seven categories and proudly supported by multiple partner organizations. Eight students received awards, including: 

Thank you to our event and award sponsors:

Including the American Industrial Hygiene Association Rocky Mountain Section, Central Rocky Mountain Health Physics Society, Society for Occupational Health Psychology, Colorado Medical Society, Colorado State University, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, and ColoradoSPH. 

Thank you to our event planning committee and event team: 

Including Morgan Valley, Paul Ogden, Jennifer Foxcroft, Thomas Minchak, William Allshouse, Allie Kom, Olivia Zarella, Seiva Cunningham, MaLasia Kelly, Sarah Levine, Kamrin Robinson, Sydney Lastoczy, and Joelle Wedel.

The MAP ERC and Research Day is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Grant NIOSH OH009229.