Colby Whitcomb, a Ph.D. student in William Stansfield Calcott Professor of Engineering and Applied Science Robert J. Davis’ catalysis lab, is the recipient of the University of Virginia’s Chemical Engineering DuPont Student Safety Award for 2022. Presented by the UVA Chemical Engineering Safety Committee, the award was created by a donation from DuPont with the goal of encouraging proactive safety measures in laboratory settings and to prevent unsafe practices or conditions before they arise.
In a letter notifying Whitcomb of the $1,000 award, the committee commended Whitcomb for setting an example in areas including hazardous waste disposal, tank handling and storage, and safety equipment. The letter, co-signed by committee chair and professor of practice Ron Unnerstall, assistant professor George Prpich, and Ph.D. students Silvia Marino and Sugandha Verma, thanked Whitcomb for being a role model, including always being available to help new students.
Like his mentors did for him, Whitcomb said, he tries to go beyond setting an example through his actions by also constantly emphasizing the importance of lab safety to new students. “It's important to make sure that everyone in the lab is aware of safety measures so that they can take an active role in protecting themselves and others,” Whitcomb said.
“To me, lab safety is not always knowing the solutions to potential issues but rather building a culture of safety awareness and encouraging everyone in the lab to take a step back before starting a new project to understand potential issues to try to mitigate problems before they arise.”