R. William Field
Encyclopedia
R. William Field is an academic scholar and Professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology within the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa
. He received a BS and MS degree in Biology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania
and a PhD in Preventive Medicine from the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa
in 1994.
Dr. Field is an occupational and environmental epidemiologist as well as an internationally-recognized expert on the health effects of radon gas. The Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study, which was overseen by Dr. Field, is widely considered the most comprehensive residential radon study ever performed. The study found a 50% increased lung cancer risk at the EPA's radon action level of 4 pCi/L.
Prof. Field directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's funded Occupational Epidemiology
Training Program at the University of Iowa. He has served on numerous national and international committees including the World Health Organization
's International Radon Project, and currently serves on the United States Environmental Protection Agency
's (EPA) Science Advisory Board, Radiation Protection Committee and a National Academy of Science Committee reviewing the impact of uranium mining in Virginia. President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Field to the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health in October 2009. The board is appointed by the President to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on its activities under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.
He started his research career in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island accident
in Pennsylvania
in 1979. His study describing the occurrence of radioactive iodine in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was the only peer-reviewed scientific study documenting radioactive contamination of the wild food chain in the vicinity of Three Mile Island. Subsequent studies examining the deposition of cesium-137 in the white-tailed deer indicated there was not widespread contamination of cesium in the vicinity of Three Mile Island following the Three Mile Island accident. In May 2011, Dr. Field was honored as the recipient of Millersville University of Pennsylvania's highest alumni honor, the Distinguised Alumni Service Award.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. He received a BS and MS degree in Biology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA, 3 miles southwest of Lancaster. Millersville University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.-History:...
and a PhD in Preventive Medicine from the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1994.
Dr. Field is an occupational and environmental epidemiologist as well as an internationally-recognized expert on the health effects of radon gas. The Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study, which was overseen by Dr. Field, is widely considered the most comprehensive residential radon study ever performed. The study found a 50% increased lung cancer risk at the EPA's radon action level of 4 pCi/L.
Prof. Field directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's funded Occupational Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
Training Program at the University of Iowa. He has served on numerous national and international committees including the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
's International Radon Project, and currently serves on the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's (EPA) Science Advisory Board, Radiation Protection Committee and a National Academy of Science Committee reviewing the impact of uranium mining in Virginia. President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Field to the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health in October 2009. The board is appointed by the President to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on its activities under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.
He started his research career in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, United States in 1979....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1979. His study describing the occurrence of radioactive iodine in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was the only peer-reviewed scientific study documenting radioactive contamination of the wild food chain in the vicinity of Three Mile Island. Subsequent studies examining the deposition of cesium-137 in the white-tailed deer indicated there was not widespread contamination of cesium in the vicinity of Three Mile Island following the Three Mile Island accident. In May 2011, Dr. Field was honored as the recipient of Millersville University of Pennsylvania's highest alumni honor, the Distinguised Alumni Service Award.