NSC Honors 2026 Safety for All Scholarship Winners

Emorie Elizabeth Baynham

Clemson University
Biomedical Science
Expected Graduation: May 2030

Emorie Baynham begins her studies at Clemson University in fall 2026 with plans to major in biomedical science and ultimately attend dental school. Emorie has consistently challenged herself through dual-enrollment coursework, cross-country, student organizations and leadership activities. Her interest in dentistry began in elementary school, when visits from dental professionals sparked an early fascination with oral health and patient care.

Emorie sees dentistry as an opportunity to connect prevention, education and accessibility. She hopes to help patients understand how oral health relates to overall health while creating a welcoming environment that reduces anxiety and encourages preventive care. She is also interested in the occupational health side of dentistry, including infection control, safe handling of materials and protecting dental professionals from workplace hazards. Through dental shadowing, DECA, National Honor Society and community service, Emorie is already building the discipline, communication skills and service mindset she hopes to bring to her future practice.

Onyinye Ezeifeka

University of Cincinnati
PhD, Environmental & Industrial Hygiene
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028

Onyinye Ezeifeka is a doctoral candidate in environmental and industrial hygiene at the University of Cincinnati. Her research journey began with an investigation of soil degradation and heavy metal contamination in southeastern Nigeria, where she examined how environmental pollutants could enter the food chain and threaten human health. She later pursued an Erasmus Mundus master’s degree in Europe, focusing on remediation of industrially contaminated soils.

Onyinye’s work has since shifted toward preventing harmful exposures before they occur. Her doctoral research examines emissions from aircraft turbine engines and how changes in aviation fuel chemistry may affect exposures among ground crew and maintenance personnel. By connecting environmental science, exposure assessment and worker health, Onyinye hopes to advance evidence-based approaches that help industries identify hazards earlier and better protect workers. 

Lauren Forney

Agnes Scott College
Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Certificate 
Expected Graduation: May 2027 

Lauren Forney’s path into health and safety is rooted in prevention, education and service. Now completing a post-baccalaureate pre-medical bridge program at Agnes Scott College, Lauren previously studied health science at Spelman College, where she explored the connections among workplace hazards, environmental risks and health disparities. Her experience includes health outcomes and workplace health initiatives at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and cancer health equity research at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Service has been central to Lauren’s life from an early age. At 12, she founded Lauren’s Community Service Academy to encourage servant leadership and support underserved communities. Her experience at a community health fair — where she encountered gaps in awareness about skin cancer among people with darker skin — reinforced her belief that accurate, inclusive health information is itself a form of prevention. Lauren plans to continue her education in medicine and public health, combining clinical care, technology and community engagement to help create healthier, more equitable communities.

Steven Hall

Columbia Southern University
Doctoral Degree in Occupational Health & Safety
Expected Graduation: 2030

For Steven Hall, safety is both a profession and a continuation of a lifetime of service. A 24-year U.S. Air Force veteran, Steven spent much of his military career performing safety-related functions and saw firsthand the consequences workplace hazards can have on workers and their families. He is now pursuing a doctoral degree in occupational health and safety at Columbia Southern University.

Steven was also part of the inaugural NSC Advanced Safety Certificate veteran scholar cohort and earned the certificate in 2025. His doctoral studies are helping him build upon his professional experience with advanced knowledge in risk assessment, hazard mitigation and data-driven safety strategies. Steven ultimately hopes to lead safety initiatives through industry, research or policy while mentoring future safety professionals and helping organizations build cultures where prevention extends beyond compliance.

Justice Jones

Tennessee State University
Cardiorespiratory Care Science
Expected Graduation: 2030

Justice Jones is studying cardiorespiratory care science at Tennessee State University. Her interest in respiratory care became real through the Lexington Medical Center Partners Program, where she observed cardiorespiratory professionals caring for patients and had an opportunity to assist with providing breaths to an intubated patient. The experience showed Justice how science, precision and compassionate care come together in moments when patient safety is critical.

Justice hopes to build a career in healthcare where safety is not simply a protocol but an everyday priority. She is particularly interested in patient care, risk prevention and the teamwork required to protect both patients and healthcare professionals. As she progresses through her academic and clinical training, Justice wants to become a thoughtful, safety-conscious healthcare professional who combines technical expertise with strong patient advocacy.

Hanwen Ju

Virginia Tech
Ph.D., Building Construction and Management   
Expected Graduation: May 2028

Hanwen Ju is a Ph.D. student in building construction and management at Virginia Tech. His background in civil engineering and construction management exposed him to the complex factors that contribute to jobsite injuries — from changing conditions and tight schedules to communication and coordination challenges. Those experiences shaped his view of safety as a system that must be intentionally designed to prevent injuries before they occur.

Hanwen’s research focuses on construction safety management, human factors and the responsible use of emerging technologies. He studies how workers recognize hazards, manage cognitive workload and interact with tools such as augmented reality, wearable sensing and robotics. A published researcher and guest editor for a Journal of Safety Research special issue on injury-prevention technologies in construction, Hanwen hopes to become a faculty member and applied researcher. His goal is to bridge research and practice by developing human-centered safety solutions that are practical, scalable and responsive to real job-site conditions.

Mia Bei King

Auburn University
Mechanical Engineering 
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028

Mia King is studying mechanical engineering at Auburn University. Her interests sit at the intersection of engineering, healthcare and occupational safety, with a particular focus on biomechanics and ergonomics. An early experience at the Tennessee Governor’s School for Science and Engineering introduced Mia to industrial engineering, healthcare systems and the potential for better design to reduce physical strain and occupational injuries.

Mia is already applying those interests through research on occupational injury risk in industrial settings, conducting risk assessments, analyzing worker exposure to injury factors and evaluating fatigue-based assessment tools. She hopes to combine graduate study in mechanical engineering with medical training and develop prosthetic, assistive and ergonomic technologies that prevent injuries, support recovery and improve safer return-to-work outcomes.

Sydney J. Kirages

University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Bioengineering, Minor in Chemistry
Expected Graduation: May 2028

Sydney Kirages is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying bioengineering with a minor in chemistry. Her interest in STEM began with a natural curiosity about how things work, but it was strengthened by an early experience with gender stereotypes that motivated her to challenge expectations. Sydney went on to become the first female captain of her high school robotics team, compete in ComEd’s EV Rally and later return as a mentor.

Today, Sydney is interested in using bioengineering to improve human health and safety, particularly through technologies that can prevent injury and improve quality of life. She brings together technical curiosity, leadership and a strong commitment to service, with a long-term goal of developing practical healthcare solutions while continuing to encourage greater participation of women in STEM.

Aaron Li

Cornell University of Illinois
Computer Science and Engineering

Aaron Li's commitment to safety began after losing a close childhood friend in a drunk-driving crash in 2015. He turned that loss into action, launching Safe Driving for Kids, a grassroots campaign through which he designed road signs and spoke at schools, churches, police stations and community events about impaired-driving prevention.

As Aaron's interest in programming grew, so did his approach to prevention. He developed Sober Guardian, an AI- and IoT-based impaired-driving prevention system that combines engineering, machine learning and human-centered design. Now attending Cornell University, Aaron plans to continue exploring the intersection of science, technology and society while developing practical solutions to challenges such as impaired driving and community safety.

Cole Milam

Oklahoma State University
Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology
Expected Graduation: May 2027

Cole Milam is studying fire protection and safety engineering technology at Oklahoma State University. Inspired by parents whose careers in nursing and law enforcement centered on helping others, Cole found in safety a way to combine his strengths in math and science with that same commitment to service.

A health, safety and environmental intern with ConocoPhillips, Cole gained field experience conducting jobsite inspections, leading toolbox talks and working directly with employees. The experience shaped his belief that effective safety leadership is built through trust, relationships and respect — not simply enforcement. That philosophy is already evident in his campus leadership. As president of the OSU ASSP Student Chapter and vice president of the Fire Protection Society, Cole has supported community safety outreach and helped provide safety training to more than 200 students involved in Homecoming construction activities. He hopes to build a career centered on protecting others through technical expertise, education and service.

Puleng Moshele

University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Industrial Hygiene
Expected Graduation: May 2027

Puleng Moshele’s commitment to worker health is deeply personal. Growing up in Lesotho, she saw respiratory disease and hearing loss become accepted realities in communities where many men — including her father — worked in South Africa’s gold and diamond mines. After her father died from a tuberculosis-related illness linked to his work, Puleng’s academic questions about disease, environment and inequality eventually led her to industrial hygiene — a field that gave her the tools to address occupational hazards at their source.

Now a graduate student in industrial hygiene at the University of Minnesota with a 4.0 GPA, Puleng studies long-term workplace health risks, particularly airborne exposures and the effectiveness of exposure controls. Her research examines local exhaust ventilation and how real-world conditions affect worker protection. Puleng has also worked as an educator and practicing industrial hygienist, conducting exposure assessments, air and noise sampling and ventilation evaluations. She hopes to build a career connecting research, practice and global health while developing practical approaches that protect workers in under-resourced communities worldwide.

Sally Nguyen

Texas A&M University
Master of Public Health, Occupational Safety and Health

Sally Nguyen is pursuing a master of public health in occupational safety and health at Texas A&M University, where her academic interests center on protecting workers and communities from occupational health and safety risks. Her research has focused particularly on occupational heat vulnerability and heat exposure, an area that has strengthened her interest in prevention and worker health.

Sally is passionate about using education and advocacy to help individuals and communities better understand workplace hazards and the steps that can be taken to reduce risk. Through her graduate education, research and community involvement, she hopes to contribute to safer, healthier workplaces while helping ensure that workers have the knowledge and resources they need to protect their health. Sally plans to continue building a career that combines occupational health research with community education and advocacy.

Osasu Osayi

Franklin Cummings Tech
Practical Electricity, Certificate of Proficiency
Expected Graduation: December 2028

Osasu Osayi is a practical electricity student at Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston, where he is completing intensive classroom and laboratory training in electrical codes, circuit theory, electrical systems and safe work practices. He also brings more than two years of hands-on residential electrical experience, including troubleshooting, panel upgrades, kitchen and bathroom wiring, device replacements and lighting installations.

Safety is central to Osasu’s training and approach to the electrical trade. Through laboratory projects, he has gained practical experience wiring and controlling residential circuits, working with electrical tools and testing equipment, and verifying installations against national and Massachusetts electrical codes. He has also earned his OSHA 10-Hour Safety certification.

Osasu approaches his work with integrity, diligence and attention to detail. His long-term goal is to become a licensed master electrician and eventually build his own electrical business. As an NSC scholar, he looks forward to learning from safety professionals, sharing his hands-on perspective and building connections between the skilled trades and the broader safety community.

Aniya Swindell

Morgan State University
Nursing
Expected Graduation: May 2028

Aniya Swindell is a nursing student at Morgan State University whose commitment to healthcare and safety was shaped by her own experience as a patient. At two years old, Aniya suffered life-threatening third-degree burns and spent significant time in hospitals, where the care and compassion she received from nurses left a lasting impression. That experience inspired her to pursue nursing and ultimately provide others with the same sense of comfort, safety and hope.

Aniya is gaining hands-on clinical experience as a nursing extern and patient care technician. Her work has reinforced the importance of safety protocols, infection control and patient advocacy in improving health outcomes. She also promotes health awareness and serves underserved communities through campus and community organizations. Aniya’s long-term goal is to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a role where precision, careful decision-making and patient safety are essential. She hopes to build a healthcare career centered on protecting patients, preventing harm and advocating for safer environments for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Thank You to Our 2026 NSC Safety for All Scholarship Sponsors and Partners