Awards & Scholarships

Environmental Health Professional of the Year

The recipient of this award will personify the commitment to serve and protect the citizens of Wisconsin from the health risks posed by the environment in which we live. The Award recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to environmental public health and dedication to the profession.  

1976 - 1992
1976 - Wesley J Beaton
1977 - George A Kupfer
1978 - Fred W Jaeger
1979 - Darryll Farmer
1981 - George A Morris
1982 - John Stroesenreuther
1983 - Elmo K Smyth
1984 - Robert F Schmitz
1986 - Thomas E Wittkopf
1987 - John G McDowell
1988 - Ronald M Buege
1989 - Gerald W Gabor
1990 - Douglas Klitzkie
1991 - Jane L Adams
1992 - Robert R Nelson

1993 - 2007
1993 - Mary L Myszka
1994 - David Holman
1995 - Terry L Brandenburg
1996 - Laura S Thacker
1997 - John J Zentgraf
1998 - Wayne A Kopp
1999 - Loyce M Robinson
2000 - Bill Otto
2001 - John Haag
2002 - Vicki Drake
2003 - Peggy Loken
2004 - Thomas L Sieger
2005 - Tommy E Schneider
2006 - Nancy Eggleston
2007 - James Steinhoff

2024 - 2039
2024 - Hsing-Yi Hsieh

WEHA Conference Stipends

WEHA offers to their members stipends to attend the NEHA Annual Educational Conference or WEHA Educational Conference. The stipends are a way for WEHA to help develop leadership skills for the professionals within our association. The WEHA Leadership stipend is given to a selected WEHA member that have shown leadership qualities in environmental health or WEHA. The Environmental Health Professional stipend is awarded to WEHA members based on a lottery system.

WEHA Student Scholarships

For each of the past 40 years, the Wisconsin Environmental Health Association has given a scholarship to a student in the field of environmental health. WEHA believes one method to improve the field of environmental and public health is to invest in the future professionals. To strengthen the field of environmental and public health and to further expand the association’s support for education activities, an additional scholarship was created in 1999. WEHA feels very strongly about the scholarship program and has established an endowment fund in order to perpetuate it.

Currently, two scholarships are given out once a year at the Annual Educational Conference: The Wayne Kopp Memorial Academic Scholarship and the Robert R. Nelson Award / WEHA Environmental Health Scholarship  

Wayne Kopp Memorial Academic Scholarship

The Wayne Kopp Memorial Academic Scholarship will be offered annually to an individual enrolled full time in a degree-granting program. The amount designated for this scholarship is $1,500. The WEHA Awards Committee shall give priority to individuals pursuing a degree or advanced degree in environmental health and shall consider the background of the candidate and any other relevant factors. No person may receive the award more than once. Recipients of the scholarship will be dependent on being present at the WEHA Fall Educational Conference.

* Eligible areas of environmental health include general environmental health, microbiology, food protection/food science, water/wastewater, solid and hazardous waste, occupational safety and health, healthy housing, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, disaster and emergency preparedness.

Robert R. Nelson Award / WEHA Environmental Health Scholarship

The Robert R. Nelson Award / WEHA Environmental Health Scholarship -  The recipient of this scholarship will be a full-time junior or senior student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and will be known for their outstanding academic achievement, dedication and commitment as a student in the field of environmental and/or public health. Faculty from UW-Eau Claire will nominate an individual to receive this scholarship.