Dee Jepsen, PhD

Dee Jepsen, PhD
State Agricultural Safety and Health Leader, Professor
Office: 
Agricultural Engineering Building 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Room 262 Columbus, Ohio 43210
Phone: 
(614) 292-6008
Biography: 
Dr. Dee Jepsen has been with the OSU Agricultural Safety and Health Program since 1992. She has responsibility for teaching, extension and research in occupational safety and health. She teaches during Spring Semester (ASM 5600) Ag Safety and Health and offers OSHA 10-hr training as a valued added certificate to the course or as a seminar. Her OSHA and Ag Certificate course is available off-campus for groups interested in agricultural occupational safety training. Her outreach efforts evolve around current issues in farm and rural safety, providing community training programs for high school classrooms, farm families and workers, agricultural industry groups, and the public seeking to understand safety and health issues farmers face. Current projects are roadway safety for tractors, machinery and Amish buggies; tractor safety education programs for youth and Women in Agriculture; establishing a ROPS rebate program for Ohio; documenting farm injuries and fatalities; respiratory hazards associated with grain dust at on-farm storage bins; skin cancer prevention; and overall farmer health including stress. To address safety and health of farm workers takes more than one approach and more than one partner; Dr Jepsen collaborates with a variety of stakeholders and organizations to design injury prevention programs that meet the needs of agricultural workers – no matter their age or experience level - because maintaining a high quality of life is a life-long learning activity.
 
Areas Of Interest
Design injury prevention outreach program for the rural community on a variety of topics:
* Agricultural safety for youth and farm families
* General farmstead safety including grain handling facilities
* Tractor and machinery safety and certification program
* Safety on rural roads with farm equipment and Amish buggies/ wagons/ carts
* Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
* Formal and Non-Formal curriculum design
 

Academic Instruction
* Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) 5600 - Graduate and Undergraduate - Agricultural safety and health practices, strategies, and methods for management
* Capstone and Research Projects with Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Organizations & Professional Contributions
* International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health
* American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
* American Society of Safety Engineers
* National Safety Council
* eXtension, Ag Safety & Health CoP
* Extension Disaster Education Network
* Ohio Association of Extension Professionals

Degrees & Certifications
* Ph.D. Human and Communty Resource Development, minor in Public Health
* M.S. Agricultural Education
* B.S. Animal Sciences
* A.S. Livestock Production
* Spirometry Certification, NIOSH accredited
* First Aid and CPR Certification, NSC accredited
* OSHA Outreach Trainer, General Industry

Program Awards & Recognition
ASABE Industry Award:
*  2011 Ergonomics, Safety and Health Award
 
ASABE Blue Ribbon Awards:
* 2020 Cultivating Safe Farm Operations: An eLearning Safety Series, Electronic Delivery Curriculum for a Web-Based Computer Program
* 2015 Ohio Grain CART Program, Innovative Extension Teaching Method
* 2014 ATV Safety for Agriculture, Electronic Delivery
* 2012 Sharing the Roadways in Amish Country, Video and Electronic Media
* 2012 Snowplows in Amish Country, Short Publication
* 2010 Lighting and Marking Recommendations for Buggies and Wagons, Short Publication
* 2000 Publication
* 1998 Publication
* 1998 Computer Program
* 1998 Instructive Display
 
NACAA Programs of Excellence in Ag Safety & Health, National Finalist:
* 2012 Rural Road Safety
* 2011 Sun Safety/ Skin Cancer Prevention
 
NACAA Communications Award, National Finalist:
* 2019 Cultivating Safe Farm Operations: An eLearning Safety Series, Learning Module/Notebook

NCERA-197 Committee, Regional Winner:
* 2014 National Excellence in Multi-state Research Awards, Council for the Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Association of Public Land Grant Universities
 
Epsilon Sigma Phi, Ohio Alpha Eta Chapter Awards:
* 2019 Farm Safety, Time to Shift into High Gear, 1st Place Periodical Publication
* 2019 Breakfast on the Farm, 3rd Place Team Teaching Award
* 2018 Agricultural Safety and Health Program, 1st Place Website
* 2018 Ag STAT, 2nd Place Team Newsletter
* 2018 AgrAbility in the News, Honorable Mention Periodical Publication
* 2015 The Peace and Not So Quiet on the Farm, 1st Place Creative Work-Video-CD’s, DVD’s, Podcasts
* 2015 Breakfast on the Farm, 2nd Place Team Teaching Award
* 2014 Agritourism, 1st Place Team Teaching Award
* 2014 Women in Ag, 1st Place Internally Produced Promotional Exhibit
* 2014 Farm SOS (Strategies on Safety), 2nd Place Team Curriculum Package
* 2013 ATV Safety for Agriculture, 2nd Place Video CD's/DVD's/Podcasts
* 2011 ATV Project Book, 1st Place Book
* 2011 Sharing the Roadways in Amish Country, 2nd Place Video
* 2011 Snowplows in Amish Country, 1st Place Factsheet
* 2010 First Place Social Media, OSU AgSafety & Health Facebook page
* 2009 First Place State Newsletter, AgS.T.A.T. (Safe Tactics for Agriculture Today)
* 2009 Third Place Publication, Safe Operation of Utility Type Vehicles (UTV)
 
International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health
* 2013 President's Award
 
Telly Awards:
* 2011 Sharing the Roadways in Amish Country, Education for Academic Use & Safety Education Video
* 2011 Sharing the Roadways in Amish Country, Safety Education Video
 
National Safety Council, Youth Activities Award of Merit:
* 2000 Farm Safety Day Camp Program
 
James D. Utzinger Extension Teaching Award:
* 2007 Award Recipient