In order to promote positive safety culture in UT labs, the Lab Safety Committee is continuing the Lab Safety Culture Awards Subcommittee. The theme for the first category of awards of 2026 was “Rethinking the Basics by Deepening Awareness of Workspace Hazards.” Quarter 1 awards were distributed in May 2026:

1st place: Gene Rible – Research Technician, Biomedical Engineering | Click here to view submission!

2nd place: Jahirul Rafi – Graduate Teaching Assistant, Microbiology | Click here to view submission!

3rd place: Tamanna Jafar – Graduate Teaching Assistant, Microbiology | Click here to view submission!

Congratulations, winners!

New lab safety culture award categories will be announced quarterly. Submissions are open to everyone involved in research or working in a lab, shop, or maker space at UT. Announcements of new awards are sent through the Lab Safety ListServ, found on flyers around campus, and communicated during events. Please email ehs_labsafety@utk.edu to request to be added to the Lab Safety ListServ if you are not already enrolled.

How to enter:

Email your single submission (one per person or team) to Linda Hamilton at lhamil17@utk.edu.

Why Headspace Matters for Safety

Safety isn’t only about managing physical hazards like equipment, chemicals, or tools. It also depends on what’s happening mentally and emotionally while we work.

When someone is stressed, overwhelmed, distracted, tired, or rushing:

• Focus can narrow
• Mistakes are more likely
• Communication may break down
• Risk‑taking can increase without intent

By noticing these headspace factors and adjusting how we work, we can prevent incidents before they happen.

Submission Prompts

If you’re not sure where to start, consider:

• A time when stress or time pressure affected attention or decision‑making
• A situation where someone spoke up about workload, fatigue, or distraction
• A simple change that helped a team slow down, communicate better, or reset expectations
• A near‑miss where headspace played a role

Your submission doesn’t need to be perfect—just thoughtful and honest.

Our Goal

The Lab Safety Culture Awards are about learning from one another. By sharing how headspace influences safety, we can build a more supportive, aware, and resilient research community.

The Lab Safety Culture Awards Subcommittee recognizes the following nominees for demonstrating positive safety culture!

Jennifer Chandler – nominated by Becky Trout Fryxell

Theresa Rogers – nominated by Hahley Wiltse

Dr. Xianzhi Meng – nominated by Art Ragauskas

Roo Walker – nominated by Chris Morris

Benjamin Wing – nominated by Chris Morris

Dr. Thomas Shaw – nominated by Stephen Sarles

Laurel Hooker Smith – nominated by Barbara McClendon

Dr. Heba Abdelgaffar – nominated by Juan Jurat-Fuentes

Bradan Bruce – nominated by Adrian Gonzalez

Click here to learn more about the Lab Safety Culture Award Nominations!