Susan Arnold, PhD

Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

Susan Arnold

Contact Info

arnol353@umn.edu

Office Phone 612-624-6222

Office Address:
1239 Mayo

Mailing Address:
420 Delaware St SE
MMC 807 Mayo
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

Director, Exposure Science and Sustainability Institute


PhD, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Minnesota, 2015

MS, Occupational Health, Medical College of Ohio, 2005

BS, Biomedical Toxicology, University of Guelph, Ontario, 1987

Summary

I specialize in developing, evaluating, and applying mathematical exposure models to estimate exposures in novel occupational environments and bring my 20-plus years of experience working in private industry as a Certified Industrial Hygienist to my research.

Expertise

Environment & exposures, occupational health, exposures, professional judgement, sustainability

Awards & Recognition

  • Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health
  • Fellow, American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2014

Professional Associations

  • Past Board Chair, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
  • Member, American Industrial Hygiene Association
  • Member, International Society of Exposure Science
  • Diplomat, American Board of Industrial Hygiene

Research

Research Methods/Techniques

In my research, I employ a range of laboratory and field empirical and statistical methods to identify inputs to accurate decision making that will lead to more accurate exposure estimates. I generate models and model inputs that are applied to unprecedented scenarios, such as the Deep Water Horizon explosion and disaster.

Research Funding Grants

  • 2015–2017, Stewart Exposure Assessment, LLC, "'GuLF Long-Term Follow-Up Study for Oil Spill Clean-Up Workers and Volunteers,' Statistical and Industrial Hygiene Support for Assessment of Inhalation Exposures for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences," Principal Investigator
  • 2016–2017, American Cleaning Institute, "Chamber Study to Assess Consumer Exposures and Quantify Evaporation Rates of Acetic Acid when Mopping with a Floor Cleaning Solution, Co-Principal Investigator

Publications

Select Publications

  • Arnold, S., Ramachandran, G.and Shao, Y. "Exposure Models: Evaluating Well Mixed Room And Near Field Far Field Model Performance Under Highly Controlled Conditions," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (Accepted)
  • Graeve C, McGovern P, Polovich M, Arnold S. "Testing an Intervention to Decrease Healthcare Workers’ Exposure to Antineoplastic Agents," Oncology Nursing Forum, Vol. 44, No. 1, January 2017
  • Shao Y, Ramachandran S, Arnold S, Ramachandran G. "Turbulent Eddy Diffusion Models in Exposure Assessment - Determination of the Eddy Diffusion Coefficient," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2016
    Provided input to study design and experimental methodology 
  • Arnold, S., Stenzel, M., Drolet, D., and G. Ramachandran. "Using Checklists and Algorithms to Improve Qualitative Exposure Assessment Accuracy," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2015
  • Arnold, S., Ramachandran, G. "Influence of Parameter Values and Variances and Algorithm Architecture in ConsExpo Model on Modeled Exposures" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2014

Teaching

Academic Interests and Focus

I teach courses in the interdisciplinary evaluation of occupational health and safety field problems, and applications of occupational hygiene. I strive to build an environment that encourages my students to make inquiries, identify best practices, and apply them. I prefer to use interactive teaching methods, such as hands-on exercises, games, and team challenges. I believe in helping cultivate the next generation of outstanding industrial hygienists, teaching leading-edge science generated by my research and my colleagues' work. I also use my industry network to create opportunities for students to gain exposure to and experience in diverse work environments to reinforce classroom learning.

Teaching Areas

I teach in the Industrial Hygiene program, offered within the Division of Environmental Health Sciences. 

Courses

  • PubH 6150, Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety Field Problems
  • PubH 6172, Industrial Hygiene Applications 

Community Engagement

My service roles provide excellent opportunities to collaborate with others and magnify the impact of our work through shared learning. My work is largely research-to-practice oriented and relies on input from industry partners, which highlights knowledge gaps requiring more fundamental research and continues to connect academia to industry.

I co-founded and am director of the University of Minnesota Exposure Science and Sustainability Institute, which delivers research and training to our industry partners. 

Media

In The News

SPH News

  • Susan Arnold and Amber Illies Publish Article on TLVs in AIHA Synergist (Read more)
  • Susan Arnold and Gurumurthy Ramachandran Contributing Authors to Bestselling Book Recognized by AIHA (Read more)
  • Susan Arnold Joins EnHS Faculty (Read more)
  • Arnold Elected Board Chair of the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (Read more)