Uploaded November 2013 | Updated September 2026, 16 hours ago
Video of the presentation of the 2013 Lorin Kerr Award to Letitia "Tish" Davis, ScD, EdM , at the Annual Awards Luncheon of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) on November 5, 2013 at the APHA Annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. This award recognizes the life-long contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves through a career of hard work and dedication to improve the lives of workers. Tish Davis' lifetime dedication and leadership has improved the health of workers across the country and especially in Massachusetts. She has been an Occupational Health and Safety leader, particularly in the areas of young workers, construction workers and linking surveillance to action. As the director for more than 30 years of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Occupational Health Surveillance Program she has created models that have been replicated throughout the country. Tish is a mentor to scores of students, medical residents and new public health researchers and has earned the respect of countless workers and community members. She embraces the principles of community-based participatory research by engaging workers and community members in determining surveillance priorities, interpreting results and assisting them to develop impactful interventions. Some of the highlights include creating model young worker programs, promoting greater recognition by community health center personnel of how work-related factors influence health, prevention programs for immigrant workers such as floor finishers, and documenting the patterns and extent of underreporting of occupational injuries and illnesses. Tish is a leader in national initiatives such as the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists' occupational health indicators program and the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine reports: Protecting Youth at Work, Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Research Programs, and Incorporating Occupational Information in Electronic Health Records. She is a clear and insistent voice advocating for workers in the construction sector as a member of the Technical Advisory Board for CPWR --The Center for Construction Research and Training, the NORA Construction Sector Council, and OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health. Finally, Tish keeps up all our spirits with her enthusiastic belief that there is nothing more important, compelling, and creative than engaging workers and communities in improving workplace safety and health. She was nominated by Sherry Baron, Kerry Souza, Robin Baker, Diane Bush, Robin Dewey, Laura Punnett, David Wegman, Eduardo Siqueira, Robert Harrison, Jackie Nowell, and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb. The Alice Hamilton Award is named for Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869 -1970), considered the founder of occupational health in the United States. Dr. Hamilton was a tireless activist and physician who dedicated her life to improving the health and safety of workers. She was committed to science, service, and compassion. This award recognizes the life-long contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves through a career of hard work and dedication to improve the lives of workers.
Video of the presentation of the 2013 Lorin Kerr Award to Letitia "Tish" Davis, ScD, EdM , at the Annual Awards Luncheon of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) on November 5, 2013 at the APHA Annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. This award recognizes the life-long contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves through a career of hard work and dedication to improve the lives of workers. Tish Davis' lifetime dedication and leadership has improved the health of workers across the country and especially in Massachusetts. She has been an Occupational Health and Safety leader, particularly in the areas of young workers, construction workers and linking surveillance to action. As the director for more than 30 years of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Occupational Health Surveillance Program she has created models that have been replicated throughout the country. Tish is a mentor to scores of students, medical residents and new public health researchers and has earned the respect of countless workers and community members. She embraces the principles of community-based participatory research by engaging workers and community members in determining surveillance priorities, interpreting results and assisting them to develop impactful interventions. Some of the highlights include creating model young worker programs, promoting greater recognition by community health center personnel of how work-related factors influence health, prevention programs for immigrant workers such as floor finishers, and documenting the patterns and extent of underreporting of occupational injuries and illnesses. Tish is a leader in national initiatives such as the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists' occupational health indicators program and the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine reports: Protecting Youth at Work, Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Research Programs, and Incorporating Occupational Information in Electronic Health Records. She is a clear and insistent voice advocating for workers in the construction sector as a member of the Technical Advisory Board for CPWR --The Center for Construction Research and Training, the NORA Construction Sector Council, and OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health. Finally, Tish keeps up all our spirits with her enthusiastic belief that there is nothing more important, compelling, and creative than engaging workers and communities in improving workplace safety and health. She was nominated by Sherry Baron, Kerry Souza, Robin Baker, Diane Bush, Robin Dewey, Laura Punnett, David Wegman, Eduardo Siqueira, Robert Harrison, Jackie Nowell, and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb. The Alice Hamilton Award is named for Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869 -1970), considered the founder of occupational health in the United States. Dr. Hamilton was a tireless activist and physician who dedicated her life to improving the health and safety of workers. She was committed to science, service, and compassion. This award recognizes the life-long contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves through a career of hard work and dedication to improve the lives of workers.
