In 1996, the annual Governor’s Safety & Health Conference safety award was renamed the “Gary Hawk Safety Award” in honor of long-time OSH Advisory Council member Gary Hawk, who passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Gary Hawk History – Gary L. Hawk graduated from Burlington High School and attended Southeastern Community College. Gary started working for J.I. Case as an inspector in 1963 and then worked for the Iowa Bureau of Labor and Federal OSHA as a compliance officer until he returned to Case where he retired in 1992. Following retirement, he continued with the UAW as a discussion Leader on OSHA and served on the Governors’ Iowa Advisory Board in Des Moines. During Gary’s long tenure as a member of the Iowa Governors Safety Council, he was instrumental in providing safety education to the workers of Iowa. His ability to coach, mentor, and train was extraordinary. He was especially gifted at pulling government, labor, and management together for the benefit of the Iowa workforce. In 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Council established the Gary Hawk Award to recognize an individual who has dedicated their career and made a significant contribution to Iowa occupational safety and health. Gary died at the age of 55 on May 14, 1996.
Gary Hawk Award Nomination Form
2024 Gary Hawk Award Winner
Dr. Nir Keren
Dr. Nir Keren joined the faculty of Iowa State University in 2005, becoming a key member of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. With a background in Mechanical Engineering, Management, and Safety Engineering from Ben Gurion University, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Texas A&M University, Dr. Keren has cultivated a career deeply rooted in the principles of safety and health.
Throughout his career, Dr. Keren has made significant contributions to the field of Occupational Safety. He has educated hundreds of students who have gone on to become leaders in safety and health, making workplaces safer for everyone. Dr. Keren has also been a pioneer in integrating virtual reality technologies into safety training, revolutionizing how industrial safety is approached.
Dr. Keren’s research examines how organizational factors influence employee safety decisions, especially in high-stress situations. His work on cognitive biases and decision-making processes in occupational settings has had a significant impact on understanding and improving employee safety behavior. He has also developed innovative visualization technologies to teach safety assessment skills more effectively.
In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Keren served on the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council, leading the council as chair in 2011. Further, he currently directs the Occupational Safety Program at the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Iowa, where he continues to influence the field of safety education.
Dr. Keren’s dedication to workers’ safety is further demonstrated by his ongoing success in securing OSHA Susan Harwood Grants, which he uses to train small and medium enterprises in the Midwest. His lifelong commitment to improving workplace safety is evident in every aspect of his career.