This year, the Association of Public Health Laboratories National Conference took place in Portland and DEQ’s Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division, also known as the “Lab,” introduced several activities showcasing its work.
As part of continued efforts to connect with the next generation of scientists, the Lab, in conjunction with the Oregon State Public Health Lab, hosted a STEM Day. Approximately 28 sixth-grade students from Farmington View Elementary, the local Hillsboro STEAM school, participated in a day full of science and experimentation through four hands-on activities.
Along with these projects, the Lab conducted two large tours – one for the APHL Fellows’ group and another for conference attendees. These included people who work in public health and environmental laboratories from across the country.
Since the conference was local, eight lab staff attended. Two people from the Lab submitted posters highlighting their work. Avery Hernandez presented a poster titled, “Inorganic arsenic speciation by high performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled mass spectrometry in environmental matrices.” Meanwhile, Kat Maloney presented a poster called, “Using microbial source tracking methods (qPCR) to identify potential contributors to fecal pollution in three Oregon watersheds.” Congratulations to both for showcasing their work to a national audience!
Overall, the conference focused on all aspects of laboratory science, including methods, workforce development, communications and quality assurance. The Lab was proud to moderate a plenary session titled, “First Foods and River Vision – Management Guidance for the Intersection of Human, Environmental and Cultural Health.” It featured Wenix Red Elk from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as speaker.
At each conference, APHL presents the LEAD Award to honors an individual who exhibits the attributes of a “leader, encourager, advocate and developer, and who has 10 or more years of service in a state, local or territorial public health laboratory, or other public health laboratory partner.” In a fantastic surprise, this year’s honor was awarded to Oregon DEQ LEAD Administrator Lori Pillsbury. Lori received received multiple nominations from staff praising the support and leadership she provides.
DEQ’s Lab truly enjoyed participating in this year’s APHL National Conference in Portland and showcasing its work protecting and enhancing Oregon’s environment and public health.
By Blair Adams, DEQ LEAD executive support specialist