POTSDAM -- Alan Rossner, associate professor and director of undergraduate programs in environmental health science and environmental science and policy at Clarkson University was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award during the university's recent commencement ceremony.

The $1,500 prize is given "in recognition of the importance of superior teaching," according to a press release from the university. Candidates are nominated for the award by Clarkson alumni, and the final selection is made by a faculty committee.

Over the past 20 years, Rossner has taught and conducted research at Clarkson in environmental health and environmental science. He teaches courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Specifically, he has taught 12 different types of courses over the last 10 years, including courses such as a first-year seminar involving case studies in environmental sciences, introduction to industrial hygiene, an advanced topics in environmental and occupational health course, human exposure assessment, environmental science and a course in risk analysis.

Rossner has also mentored graduate students studying environmental science and engineering and more than 60 undergraduate research projects since his arrival at Clarkson.

In addition to his teaching and research, Rossner has been very active in his profession. In 2013, he was named a fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), where only three percent of the total members are granted fellow status. In 2014, he was elected to the board of directors for American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), an organization that produces the most widely used occupational exposure guidelines across the world.

Rossner's research projects provide valuable teaching opportunities. He directs his research into areas that minimize human exposure to contaminants, improve working conditions, improve living conditions and minimize risk of disease.

His current research projects encompass three areas: the development of air sampling methodologies; exposure assessment strategies for occupational and environmental air sampling; and indoor/outdoor air contaminant monitoring.

Rossner has published peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers and presented conference presentations regionally and nationally since his arrival at Clarkson. His research has been funded by such agencies as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Defense.

Rossner received his Ph.D. in occupational health from McGill University, his master of science degree in environmental health from the University of Washington, and his bachelor of science in biology from Clarkson.

Prior to coming to Clarkson, he spent 10 years working in the industrial sector as an environmental, health and safety professional at the Boeing Company, consulting and government agencies.