Synergist - April 2012

its new “Get Three” Guarantee. (More information on the “Get Three” Guarantee can be found at www.aihce2012. org.) Also new to the conference is a free lunch in the Expo on Tuesday, June 19, covered by AIHce. Once again this year, registrants have the option to receive the entire conference with online access to AIHce On Demand. Included in the “Best Value” registration option, AIHce On Demand features all digitally captured conference content, including speaker presentations synced to PowerPoint slides. This content will be available for download after AIHce concludes.

Indy will be the site of the first AIHce Ignite Sessions. Ignite presentations are a growing phenomenon. In Ignite talks, presenters have five minutes to share their professional and personal passions using 20 PowerPoint slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. The Ignite motto is “Enlighten us, but make it quick.” The Ignite Sessions will be held on Tuesday, June 19, with a “nightclub” feel—the room will have round tables and presenters will have only a hand microphone.

The AIHce Mobile App is making its debut in 2012 and will allow you to create and manage your schedule, view detailed session and exhibitor listings and stay informed on up-to-the-minute AIHce news, directly from your smartphone. Keep an eye on the AIHce website for more information.

Keynote Speakers The Opening General Session on Monday, June 18, features Juan Enriquez, who will present “The Future: Life Sciences and the Knowledge Economy.” Enriquez is co-founder of Synthetic Genomics Inc. and managing director of Excel Venture Management. As Enriquez will demonstrate, the genetic revolution and other technologies will have unprecedented political, ethical, economic and financial impacts on almost every workplace in the coming years. During this session, attendees will learn how these discoveries and applications affect OEHS professionals.

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, a national leader in occupational health and safety, will share his vision for the future of the OEHS profession during Tuesday’s General Session. Howard’s address, “Redefining Our Future,” will discuss ways that OEHS professionals can adapt to emerging trends. Following this thought-provoking talk, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Dr. Howard during a special “Ask the Expert” Session geared toward stimulating conversation.

John C. Sheptor, President and CEO of Imperial Sugar Company, will open Wednesday’s General Session with an address titled “A CEO’s Perspective: Redefining Our Future.” Back in February 2008, Sheptor was present for the explosion that killed 14 workers and wounded several others at Imperial Sugar’s Port Wentworth, Ga., refinery. Since then, the company has made numerous safety and health changes and rebuilt the refinery with new technology. Sheptor will share lessons learned about change as he led Imperial Sugar through this transformation.

For more information on the AIHce keynote speakers, visit http://bit.ly/ aihce2012generalsessions.

PDCs and Technical Sessions This year, AIHce is offering three certification preparation courses—the most offered to date. New in Indianapolis is the two-day qualified environmental professional (QEP) prep course, which will be held Friday and Saturday, June 15–16. Due to high demand, the certified safety professional (CSP) and certified hazardous materials management (CHMM) three-day PDC exam prep courses are back. These courses are offered Friday through Sunday, June 15–17, and are geared toward ensuring that participants are well equipped for upcoming certification exams. The new PDC “Case Studies in Ethical Decision Making” is offered both Saturday and Sunday and fulfills ABIH Ethics requirements. There are also several PDCs that fulfill ABIH’s Safety Rubric requirement.

With over 120 technical sessions covering more than 50 topic areas, AIHce offers a diverse representation of programs. The week is packed with timely, high-quality learning opportunities in different session formats: general sessions, lectures, lunch discussions, roundtables and podium and poster sessions. Every topic has a place at AIHce, from asbestos (for example, see session PO 107, “Aerosols”) to nanotechnology (RT 206, “Ask NIOSH Experts”) to ergonomics (RT 208, “Leaders and Legends in Ergonomic Modeling”) to toxicology. The AIHce 2012 Advance Program is available for download at http://aihce2012.org/education/ advance-program and contains specifics on all of the sessions being offered in Indy this June.

Networking

Spend time with old friends and meet new colleagues at the Expo Opening Cocktail Reception on Monday, June 18, and the MSA/AIHA reception on Tuesday. The conference is also hosting many open volunteer group meetings, ancillary sponsored functions, technical and social tours and the annual AIHF Fun Run/Walk. Students and early career professionals will find many events and activities specially geared toward those new to the profession. The CareerAdvantage Development Fair will run from Monday to Wednesday, June 18–20, and is a great resource for job seekers, employers and recruiters alike.

Find Out More

Take advantage of savings and avoid on-site rates if you register by May 30, the deadline for Advance Registration. Go to www.aihce2012.org to register and find other AIHce information.