AIHA-NCS Dinner Meeting and DWOI Fundraiser
November 17, 2026
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
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CornerStone Brewery
2367 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
https://cornerstoneberkeley.com/
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November 17, 2026 | 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Cornerstone Berkeley
2367 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA. 94704
Our next dinner meeting will be held on November 17, 2026. The meeting will start with acknowledgements
When: Tuesday November 17, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Where: Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704
Why: To learn about current research from UC Berkeley students and connect with industrial hygiene professionals across the Bay Area. This will also be an opportunity to support the Developing World Outreach Initiative (DWOI). DWOI was formed to address the lack of adequate industrial hygiene resources for worker and workplace health and safety professional in developing countries. This event will include a fundraising element to raise money for this worthy cause. Every dollar makes a difference.
Tax-deductible donations can be sent as follows:
1) Send a check to “New Ways to Work” c/o Garrett Brown, our fiscal agent at PO Box 124, Berkeley, CA 94701-0124
2) Send your donation via Venmo at: Venmo @New-Ways-To-Work-295
"New Ways to Work" is DWOI’s fiscal agent and is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) public charity. The tax ID number for New Ways to Work is: EIN 94-2835779.
Also, for Venmo donations, you may be prompted to enter the last 4 digits of a phone number associated with the Venmo account. That code is: 0074.
Technical Presentations:
Title: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Metal Craftsmen in Lalitpur, Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Hearing Status and Workplace Exposure.
Description: Lauren Jensen, a 2026 Robert C. Spear Scholarship recipient, collaborated with Nepal's Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED)—a previous AIHA Northern California Developing World Outreach Initiative (DWOI) microgrant recipient—to evaluate workplace noise exposure and subsequent hearing status among metal craftsmen in Lalitpur, Nepal. Their research cohort included 134 metal craftsmen and 27 participating workshops.
Speaker: Lauren Jensen is from Provo, Utah, and is currently a second-year Master of Public Health student at UC Berkeley, specializing in Environmental Health Sciences with an emphasis in Industrial Hygiene. Her research focuses on occupational health, with experience studying worker exposures in mining and informal, home-based work environments. Outside of her research, Lauren is an avid hiker who enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible.
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Title: When the Plan Falls Through: Adapting an Occupational Health Project in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Description: This summer Noe spent time in Guadalajara, Mexico, supporting a study of ergonomic and occupational health risks among manufacturing workers with the Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL), a labor rights organization, through the Spear Scholarship administered through the Center for Environmental and Occupational Health (COEH). This talk is a case study in how they prepared the literature reviewed on hazards in automotive and electronics manufacturing, the worker survey and Spanish-language
Speaker: Noe Serrano is a second-year MPH candidate in Environmental Health Sciences (Industrial Hygiene) at UC Berkeley and a NIOSH Industrial Hygiene Trainee. A Fresno native, he grew up on the outskirts of the city, where he saw agriculture and industrial manufacturing intersect with the environment, both built and natural. He came to Berkeley for undergraduate study (2021-2025) and stayed on for his MPH. As an IH trainee, he analyzes and reviews the systems meant to protect workers. His current research is a study design examining why California has no enforceable exposure limit for cannabis dust.
Additional Information:
We have designed the evening to have one cumulative hour of technical content (equivalent to 0.17 CM point for ABIH Diplomates).
The AIHA-NCS Executive Committee will meet 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm to conduct local section business. Interested parties are encouraged and welcome to attend.
Tickets
$55.00 Member Ticket
$70.00 Non-Member Ticket
$40.00 Student Member
Ticket price includes buffet fajita dinner. There will be a no host bar. Limited spots - book now!
Register at https://aiha-ncs
If you are interested in volunteering to help at the registration table, please contact Eric Dueltgen at: [email protected]
We hope to see your there!
Executive Committee: The AIHA-NCS Executive Committee will meet at the restaurant from 4:30 - 5:30 to conduct local section business. Interested parties are encouraged and welcome to attend.
Additional information about the Developing World Outreach Initiative:
The Developing World Outreach Initiative (DWOI) is now approaching its 21st year of volunteer service as a sub-committee of the Northern California local section of AIHA. Our committee sponsored 20 projects in 2026, including 3 technical exposure assessment projects and 17 training workshops (out of 46 proposals received from NGOs and Universities around the world). Since 2006, DWOI has partnered with NGOs and universities in over 30 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to finance over 250 projects. These include occupational health and safety training workshops with worker and community organizations as well as technical projects to evaluate worker exposure to hazardous substances and develop effective preventative measures. In just the past six years, we have sponsored 28 technical exposure assessments and 79 training workshops in 17 developing countries. We also sponsor several AIHA international affiliate memberships for selected OHS groups in the developing world to provide them access to American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) resources.
For next year, we are currently reviewing 58 project proposals from 19 developing world countries. The outlay cost for sponsoring this volume of projects is approximately $25,000 each year which is spent solely on actual project funding, since we have no overhead costs within DWOI as it is an all volunteer effort. All projects are posted on the AIHA Northern California Section website at:
https://aiha-ncs.org/Developing_World_Outreach_Initiative.
We would like to begin our fundraising efforts this year to determine the funds available to sponsor projects for the next year's cycle.
DWOI recently received a very generous donation of $3000 from long-time advisor and DWOIer, David Zalk who requested that his donation be a matching challenge grant, intending to raise another $3000 through this fundraising appeal. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to DWOI to help meet this matching grant challenge.
In order to continue this valuable work, we depend solely on individual financial contributions. Some of our partner organizations have lost funding altogether with the cutbacks in Washington, and many others rely on their own limited funds to conduct life-saving projects with the help we are able to provide. We know there are many needs calling out for support now, but please consider making a tax-deductible donation to DWOI to continue this two-decades worth of partnership and solidarity to build occupational health and safety capacity globally via small but tangible and impactful projects. If you have already donated to DWOI, thank-you very much. For those considering making a donation this year, your tax-deductible donation will allow us to determine how many projects we can support in 2027.
Thanks for your consideration and support of our efforts to build capacity in occupational health and safety globally.
Register NowTickets
$55.00 Member Price
$70.00 Non-Member Price
