STAC-TEC: Sustainable Technologies, Alternate Chemistry-Training and Ed Center

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The Sustainable Technology, Alternate Chemistry-Training and Education Center (STAC-TEC) will focus on developing sustainable solutions to potential workplace health and safety risks associated with biotechnology, nanotechnology, alternative (green) chemistry, and green landscaping. STAC-TEC activities will build awareness of safe work practices among students and professionals in related areas of technology development and environmental health sciences: exposure sciences, environmental health sciences, chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, nursing, and occupational medicine. The Center will focus training efforts on identification and evaluation of potential health risks and environmental impacts, and on developing appropriate controls and substitution strategies that can provide long-term "sustainable technology" solutions to minimize potential harmful waste streams, reducing process hazards and lower energy costs. The STAC-TEC aims are to: 1) develop and pilot test materials to augment existing courses of instruction; 2) develop and implement modular course training materials appropriate for occupational and environmental health and safety professionals to provide them with practical working knowledge of sustainable technologies that can be applied in daily practice; 3) develop curricula appropriate for graduate and undergraduate level certificates on sustainable technologies; 4) evaluate center effectiveness in providing training materials and in raising awareness of STAC in target audiences. The Center training model is to provide three progressive layers of training materials that will build awareness and add capacity to respond to emerging hazards. The progressive steps in this training are: 1) building awareness and basic knowledge of the topic for people likely to encounter sustainable technologies in the workplace; 2) developing practical knowledge for daily practice by Health and Safety professionals; 3) developing advance knowledge and capability for training for workers who will have substantial involvement in sustainable technologies. Implementation of this training will provide broad awareness and knowledge in the workplace of appropriate application of Sustainable Technologies and Alternative Chemistries (STAC) among people engaged in scientific discovery, process development, product engineering, and worker health and safety.