Thomas R. Waters Memorial Scholarship

The Thomas R. Waters Memorial Scholarship exists to increase the community of individuals trained in ergonomics with a focus on occupational safety and health. The Fund is established in memory of Thomas R. Waters, who passed away suddenly in October 2014.

Dr. Waters retired from CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the end of 2012, after a distinguished 24-year career in the field of occupational safety and health. His influential research on assessing the biomechanical demands of occupational lifting and manual material handling is internationally recognized. The broad impact of his research stretched across all industries and is particularly relevant to agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare. 

A steadfast advocate for education, Dr. Waters frequently hosted numerous visiting scientists and international collaborators, as well as teaching individuals, academics, government organizations and worker groups about his research both domestically and internationally. Throughout his career, Dr. Waters attracted many recent graduates and new researchers into his program at CDC—mentoring and encouraging them to become life-long advocates for occupational safety and health.

In honor of his memory and legacy, this fund will continue to support the community of individuals trained in human factors or ergonomics with a focus on occupational safety and health. This memorial fund will annually provide an award to a graduate-level student or recent graduate (within one year of graduation) conducting research in major material handling safety and injury, whose presentation and abstract has been accepted at a conference. This research should significantly advance the science underpinning major material handling safety, and the award will fund travel to present at that conference. Qualified applicants must be enrolled in a college or university located within the United States or have graduated at such an institution within one year of application, however U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.

On Our Blog:

Thomas R. Waters Receives NIOSH Lifetime Achievement Award

Remembering Tom Waters