CRCPD has named two Radon Hero Award recipients for 2022, one of whom is William (Bill) Field, PhD, MS. Sadly, he was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness and has now passed away.
The award recognized these accomplishments and contributions, as written in the nomination of him for the award:
A large portion or Dr. Field’s career has been investigating the health risks associated with radon exposure and then communicating that risk regionally, nationally, and globally. In fact, he has spent over 25 years performing radon research and outreach as an academic scholar and a Professor at the University of Iowa's College of Public Health with appointments in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology. He has also directed the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) funded Occupational Epidemiology Training Program at the University of Iowa since 2005. In addition, he has authored over 100 scientific papers, book chapter, reports, and editorials including the 2012 OP-ED in the New York times entitled “The Radon Threat is Still with Us”. He was also the lead author for Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study, which is considered the most comprehensive residential radon study ever performed. While Dr. Field will retire from the University of Iowa in January of 2022 and move to Emeritus Professor status, he will continue his radon work as a Co-principal investigator of a large 5-year NIH funded study with colleagues at Columbia University and the University of Alabama that will explore the potential association between radon decay product exposure and stroke as well as other non-cancer adverse health outcomes.
As noted above, Dr. Field has spent his career researching the health effects of radon and then communicating those risks to enhance radon reduction activities. His commitment, regionally and nationally, to reducing radon exposure has been recognized by numerous groups including:
2005 United States Environmental Protection Agency/National Environmental Health Association, Individual Achievement Award for Excellence in Radon Risk Reduction
2005 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Children’s Environmental Health Recognition Award
2012 Faculty Outreach Award, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
2012 Michael J. Brody Award for Faculty Excellence in Service to the University and the State of Iowa, University of Iowa
2017 Iowa Cancer Champion Award, Iowa Cancer Consortium, University of Iowa
2018 EPA Region 7 Radon Award for his dedication in spreading the awareness for radon issues in Iowa and across the nation
In 2010, based on Dr. Field’s tireless efforts assisting the states in their radon reduction activities, the CRCPD Board of Directors designated him an honorary member of CRCPD.
Dr. Field has served on numerous national and international committees and groups to develop and implement good practices including: 1) the 2020 ANSI/AARST MW-RN-2020 Protocol for the Collection, Transfer and Measurement of Radon in Water Committee; and 2) the Health Care Providers Guide to Radon (formerly Physicians Guide), developed in collaboration with the EPA and CRCPD, which provided guidance to health care providers for implementing radon reduction efforts in their practice.
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Field has provided well over 100 seminars, and more recently webinars, for numerous state radon programs, EPA regions, the National Academy of Science, the U.S. EPA, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, and numerous other organizations focused primarily on the health risk posed by protracted radon exposure. The Keynote and Invited presentations served to communicate the scientific basis (pooled radon analyses, etc.) of radon risks to anchor the risk communications efforts of governmental agencies, NGOs, etc. In 2009, his Keynote address at the International Radon Meetings launched the World Health Organization's (WHO) Handbook on Indoor Radon - A Public Health Perspective on behalf of the WHO International Radon Project. The WHO Handbook has provided science and policy guidance on radon for the policy makers in the WHO’s member states.
Dr. Field has actively collaborated with numerous agencies and organizations nationally and globally. For example, Dr. Field was the lead non-U.S. governmental representative to the WHO global radon project. He chaired the Radon Measurement Working Group for the WHO initiative and served on the Health Effects Working Group. He also served as one of the final editors for the WHO radon guidance. However, probably the best example of Dr. Field’s collaboration was his 2003 initiation and moderation, for well over a decade, of the International Radon Professionals Listserv, at the University of Iowa, that included over 500 members subscribed from over 20 countries. The Listserv served as an early nexus for the sharing of ideas and solutions. He currently moderates the Linked In Radon List that includes over 1,600 members worldwide.
The activities described above clearly provide evidence of sustained and committed efforts to perform radon related research; communicate the findings of radon research; assist state, federal, and NGO partners in their efforts to promote radon reduction; and serve as a national and global radon resource.
United States