Total Worker Health®
Total Worker Health® Track
The Total Worker Health (TWH) doctoral program was established in 2018 and it is the first and only in the world, graduate-level program in TWH. The TWH approach was originally conceived by NIOSH to include “policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being.”
The TWH program is a track available for students enrolling in the PhD degree in Environmental Sciences. The TWH program builds upon occupational safety and health efforts to prevent workplace injury and illness with policies, programs and practices to promote worker well-being. For more information, contact Dr. Shannon Guillot-Wright.
After completing this program, you will be a degreed TWH professional. Graduates will be able to conduct research characterizing worker well-being, as well as implement policies and practices improving worker health. In addition to research opportunities, key elements of the TWH track involve practice-based training and interdisciplinary interactions with trainees in occupational epidemiology, industrial hygiene and occupational medicine. Specifically, the curriculum trains students to identify, characterize, and integrate risk factors of worker well-being and safety, as well as develop, implement, and evaluate strategies, policies and programs to improve workers’ health and well-being.
The following are the learning objectives of the Total Worker Health Track:
- Describe applications of the Total Worker Health framework in workplace settings to improve worker well-being.
- Evaluate research relevant to Total Worker Health and worker well-being.
- Identify sources and pathways of exposure to risk factors influencing worker well-being.
- Identify potential modifiers (e.g., aging, addictions, outdoor air pollution, built environment, lifestyle behaviors, health policies and health care) of occupational factors influencing worker well-being.
- Integrate behavioral, organizational, and policy theories as needed in plans to improve worker well-being.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate a Total Worker Health strategy or intervention to improve worker well-being.
The TWH training program is available at all campus locations: Houston, Austin, Brownsville, El Paso, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Stipends, Tuition Support, and Benefits
The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at UTHealth School of Public Health is one of 18 CDC/NIOSH Education and Research Centers in the United States, supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). SWCOEH is comprised of academic degree programs in occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, occupational epidemiology and total worker health, and supports active continuing education, outreach and pilot project research training programs.
Traineeships consisting of full tuition, fees support and a generous monthly stipend are available to full-time students on a competitive basis. Trainees must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Requirements for the traineeships include acceptance into the PhD Environmental Sciences academic program (TWH track), maintenance of a minimum course workload and satisfactory academic progress.
How to Apply
Admission requirements and application deadlines can be found online.
Students should apply for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Sciences within the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Program.
For More Information
Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD
Associate Professor and Program Director
Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
1200 Pressler St. W1042
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713.500.9384
Email: [email protected]
Faculty
Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD
Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD, is an Associate Professor at UTHealth’s School of Public Health and holds an affiliation in the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. She is also the Director of Health Policy Research at UTMB's Center for Violence Prevention. Her program of research focuses on occupational health equity and the use of evidence in policymaking, with an emphasis on structural violence and social justice. She is particularly interested in understanding power, influence, and social change. Her research is grounded in community-based participatory research principles and her methodology is ethnographic, including photovoice and digital storytelling. Dr. Guillot-Wright has her PhD in Medical Humanities from UTMB, MA in Human Rights from Columbia University, and completed her postdoctoral training at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State.
George Delclos, MD, MPH, PhD
George Delclos, MD, MPH, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, Texas and Senior Researcher in the Center for Occupational Health Research at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Barcelona in 1981 and completed residency training in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases at the Baylor College of Medicine. He has an M.P.H. degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health, a Ph.D. in Health and Life Sciences from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, and is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases and occupational medicine. At UTSPH, he is past Principal Investigator of the Southwest Center of Occupational and Environmental Health (1997-2006), Director of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Science (2004-2008) and Director of the Occupa data-equalizer-watch=""tional Medicine Residency Program (1993-1998, 2008-2020).
Dr. Delclos remains active in clinical practice, which he combines with teaching and research. In 2015 he received the University of Texas Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and was inducted in 2016 into The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD Academy of Health Science Education. With over 200 peer-reviewed publications, his research presently focuses on 3 areas: a) occupational and environmental asthma, b) national surveys of working conditions and health, mainly conducted in emerging countries and c) determinants of sickness absence and disability at an international level. Dr. Delclos’ research is conducted mainly in Texas, Spain and Latin America (Colombia and Central America). Dr. Delclos' research publications are available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1FWc9gTMiMm5l/bibliography/public/?sortby=pubDate&sdirection=ascending
Sarah A. Felknor, DrPH
Sarah A. Felknor, MS, DrPH is Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Director of the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH). She received her DrPH in Community Health Practice from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, a MS in Organization Development from American University (Washington DC), and a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Tufts University (Medford, MA). Dr. Felknor has over 35 years of experience in occupational safety and health (OSH) research, training, and service in the U.S. and internationally, and over 12 years of experience as a senior executive in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) where she directed the integration of research portfolios to reduce the risk of worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities through basic and applied research. Her international work in OSH earned her the NIH Director’s Award for excellence in global environmental and occupational research training. She served as Chair of the NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors and Chair of the NIOSH Workforce Needs Assessment Task Force. Her recent work has focused on developing strategies and tools to anticipate the occupational health challenges in the future of work and explore the need for an expanded focus for OSH through a futures-oriented approach to planning and action.
Kevin Lanza, PhD
Kevin Lanza, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin, Texas. His research explores the relations between the environment, health behaviors, and health through an equity lens, with a focus on extreme heat and physical activity of children and other heat-sensitive populations. The ultimate goal of his research is to inform policies that eliminate race-, ethnicity-, and class-based health inequities in the face of warming from urbanization and climate change. Prior to joining the faculty at UTHealth, Dr. Lanza was a research fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, received his doctorate in City & Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology, and completed his postdoctoral training at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. His research has been funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and City of Austin. Dr. Lanza’s research publications are listed in his NIH bibliography.
Brett Perkison, MD, MPH
Brett Perkison, MD, MPH, obtained a B.S. in biology at Texas A&M University. He then obtained a medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He completed residencies in Family Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine followed by a residency in Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston. Dr. Perkison is board certified in both specialties and a Fellow in the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Dr. Perkison’s current area of research interest is measuring the effectiveness of worksite health care innovations for employees in the areas of chronic disease management, disease education programs, targeted case management, and home intervention programs. Measured outcomes will include rates of absenteeism, presentism rates, safety incidences and occupational injuries\occupational illnesses. Safety and occupational injuries are more typically measured in order to assess the degrees of workplace safety for an organization. However research suggests that improving the general health of the workplace population will also greatly reduce injury rates. He also maintains a joint appointment at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center in the Family Medicine department where he provides primary and occupational care. Dr. Perkison's research publications are available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1pa0ucD38iwAs/bibliography/public/.
Total Worker Health® Trainees
Paul Carey, MD, MPH
SWCOEH Trainee
Paul Carey, MD, MPH completed both his residency training in Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Master of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. He served as chief resident and was inducted to the Alpha Iota Chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health in August 2019. Dr. Carey was the Occupational Medicine resident representative on the residency advisory committee and the program evaluation committee. He was selected as a NIOSH Trainee in Total Worker Health and plans to advance his career as an academic clinician engaged in research interests that include occupational chemical exposure, nanomaterial risk identification and biomarker surveillance.
Jennifer Cerecero, MS
SWCOEH Trainee
Jennifer Cerecero, MS is a third-year PhD student in the Environmental Sciences - Total Worker Health track. She completed her Bachelors in Radiological Health Engineering from Texas A&M College Station and a Master's in Medical Health Physics from UT Health San Antonio. She is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Environmental Health & Safety Office at UT Health San Antonio and the Radiation Safety Officer for the Broad Scope License, X-ray Registrations, Laser Certifications, and Mammography Certifications for our institution. Additionally, she assisted with COVID-19 contact tracing for UT Health San Antonio during the height of the pandemic. She plans to utilize the degree in her career in Environmental Health & Safety and total worker health at the UT Health San Antonio campus.
Rosandra Daywalker, MD
SWCOEH Trainee
Rosandra "Røs" Daywalker, MD is a physician completing a combined PhD in Environmental & Occupational Health and residency in Occupational & Environmental Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. The first Total Worker Health® track doctoral student in the nation, Dr. Daywalker was granted a competitive traineeship by the CDC NIOSH through the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. Dr. Daywalker is currently coordinating research regarding the effects of COVID-19 on patient care gaps and healthcare worker well-being, in collaboration with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.-- the federally designated primary care association for the state of Texas. She attended medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine, an institution recognized for its social mission and commitment to health equity. As a medical student, she was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, the only national medical honor society in the world. Dr. Daywalker's global experience includes having led medical professionals in a community health program in Haiti, as well as humanitarian medical and educational service in Vietnam. As a recipient of the AAO-HNS Resident Leadership Grant, Nathan Sostrin Unbeatable Mind Scholarship, and University of Texas Medical Branch Quality Improvement Research Award, Dr. Daywalker is dedicated to improving population well-being through collaboration. Her vision is to use her expertise in medicine, research, coaching, and leadership to continue to drive innovations in wellness, health promotion, leadership development, and organizational/community transformation.
William Hebel, MPH
TWH Student
William Hebel, MPH, MB(ASCP)CM, is a second-year PhD student at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health. He is enrolled in the Total Worker Health® Track in the Environmental Sciences department, and he completed his MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in 2022. William currently serves as the Clinical Safety Coordinator for the UTHealth Houston Environmental Health and Safety Department Hospital and Clinic Safety Program. 
Linette Leadon, MS
TWH Student
Linette Leadon, MS, CIH, CSP, SM (NRCM) is a second-year PhD student at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health. She is enrolled in the Total Worker Health® Track in the Environmental Sciences department. Linette holds a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Houston – Clear Lake and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), and Specialist Microbiology National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM) certifications. Linette currently serves as director of the laboratory safety, waste, air and water emissions, and pest control programs in Environmental Health and Safety, Sustainability and Emergency Management (EHSSEM) at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Linette has worked for MD Anderson for 21 years in EHSSEM, beginning her career in safety in the Occupational Health and Safety group as a Safety Specialist. She is very interested in worker exposure to hazardous drugs and the impacts of employee activity on environmental sampling in pharmacies.
César Pinzón Gómez, MD, MPH
TWH Student
César Leonardo Pinzón Gómez, MD, MPH is a PhD student in Environmental Sciences, Total Worker Health Track at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health. He is a physician from the National University of Colombia, recognized as one of the top medical schools in his country, and completed his residency in Occupational Medicine at the Manuela Beltran University of Colombia. He carried out activities as an Occupational Physician for 6 years focusing on work-related rehabilitation processes and return-to-work with modified duties. Later he performed in multiple companies in the private sector as director of Health-Safety and Environment, generating and developing corporate strategies for the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, promoting healthy lifestyles, and facilitating return-to-work in workers with disabilities. Subsequently, he completed his MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center where he was chosen to obtain the Outstanding New Student scholarship and also earned a graduate certificate in Data Science. He was also elected to receive the Jack Killian Memorial Scholarship, and was introduced to the Alpha Iota chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.
Flor Puentes, MPH
SWCOEH Trainee
Flor Puentes, MPH, is a second-year PhD student in the Environmental Health - Total Worker Health® track. Ms. Puentes attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health-El Paso Campus. Her experience and interests have been in Border Health research and infectious diseases. She has worked with government agencies from local, state, and federal levels on different infectious disease outbreaks such as H1N1, Zika, Measles and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Puentes was the Lead Epidemiologist at the City of El Paso Department of Public Health, for which she assisted in leading Emergency Operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently the Regional Director of Epidemiology-Southwest Region at Compass Connections, where she provides public health guidance, assists with outbreak investigations, and conducts public health surveillance to the Residential Services Division with unaccompanied migrant children. Her motivation is to be able to expand her experience in border health research and integrate it with Environmental Science and Total Worker Health
Sandra Ramirez, MPH
SWCOEH Trainee
Sandra Ramirez, MHP, LMP, CHP, CLSO, CSP, is a third-year PhD student in the Environmental Sciences - Total Worker Health® track. Sandra completed her Bachelor's in Radiological Health Engineering from Texas A&M in College Station and holds a Master's in Health Physics from Illinois Institute of Technology. She has a license and certifications in the following areas: Licensed Medical Health Physicist, Certified Health Physicist, Certified Laser Safety Officer and Certified Safety Professional. Sandra has over 19 years of experience in the field of Health Physics. She currently serves as a Director in Environmental Health and Safety, Sustainability, and Emergency Management at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She currently serves as the Radiation Safety Officer for the Radioactive Material Broad Scope License, X-ray Registration, Cyclotron Production Radioactive Materials License, and Mammography Certifications and Laser Safety Officer for the Laser Certification, and oversees MRI Safety. Her research interest is focused on ionizing and non-ionizing areas among workers in clinical and industrial environments.
Valerie Valenzuela, MBA
SWCOEH Trainee
Valerie Valenzuela, MBA, is a 5th-year PhD student at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health in the Environmental Science: Total Worker Health track. She completed her MBA in 2018 and has many years working in both local and state government agencies serving to aid in worker health from various environmental hazards from asbestos to lead. Additionally, she served as an epidemiologist for the city health department Covid-19 response team. Her interests include migrant worker health and promoting data analysis frameworks for occupations with vulnerable populations.
The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health is part of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health