WVU engineering students earn scholarships from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals

Lauren MacDowell and Brice Dang Nsongue have been namedrecipientsofthe 2017 Graduate Safety Practitioner Scholarship.

Two students from the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at West Virginia University have been awarded scholarships from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. The BCSP is recognized as the leader in high-quality credentialing for safety, health and environmental practitioners in order to enhance the safety of people, property, and the environment.

Lauren MacDowell, an industrial hygiene graduate student from Satellite Beach, Florida, and Brice Dang Nsongue, a safety management graduate student from Douala, Cameroon, were recipients of the 2017 Graduate Safety Practitioner Scholarship. The scholarship is given to students interested in becoming Certified Safety Professionals, an accredited certification offered by the BCSP, and comes with an award of $5,000 and a free application to take the GSP exam upon graduation.

The GSP designation is awarded to qualified individuals to mark their completion of an accredited academic program as well as establish their intention to obtain CSP certification, one of the highest credentials professionals in the safety field can achieve.

“These two students have been recognized by BCSP as exemplifying what they believe is someone that will fast-track to CSP certification,” said Ken Currie, professor and chair of the IMSE department. “This is significant because it raises our prominence among other safety management and industrial hygiene programs in the country and is also a reflection of the hard work that our faculty and advisory committees exert to maintain ABET accreditation, which is a prerequisite for GSP recognition.”

Obtaining CSP status is a strenuous process that requires individuals to complete several examinations and have a minimum of four years of job experience that is at least 50 percent safety related.

For Dang Nsongue, receiving a scholarship from the BCSP has renewed his motivation to become a CSP.

“Receiving this scholarship was a reminder that my hard work is not going unnoticed and that I have an extensive academic and professional support system,” said Dang Nsongue. “My goal is to develop further professionally into occupational and environmental health and safety within the energy industry. The scholarship money will help me afford the best preparation for my professional certification exams and has fueled the drive I have to achieve my goals.”

For MacDowell, the financial peace of mind gained from the scholarship will help her achieve success at WVU.

“Completing my degree is the first step to reaching my goal of one day working as a residential hygienist in a hospital or manufacturing plant,” explained MacDowell. “Receiving this scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies without worrying about finances.”

Both students will be recognized for their achievements in the 2017 BCSP Annual Report, which is set to be released this spring.

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