# UK professor honored for occupational health research **Published:** 2026-06-24T15:12:26.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/wayne-t-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professor-qa) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-professor-honored-for-occupational-health-research LEXINGTON, Ky. — Wayne T. Sanderson, a professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, has been named a [2026-27 University Research Professor](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/wayne-t-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professor-qa). The honor recognizes Sanderson for his research on occupational and environmental health hazards and their effects on disease and injury. [University Research Professors are selected annually by the UK Board of Trustees](https://www.research.uky.edu/support/university-research-professors) for demonstrating excellence in work that addresses scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges in Kentucky and the world. Sanderson is the founding director of the Central Appalachian Regional Education Research Center and the director of the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention. Combined, the two centers bring more than $3 million per year to UK for research and student training. His research encompasses respiratory diseases, cancer, infectious diseases, injuries, chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes associated with occupational and environmental exposures. His students conduct research on epidemiology, exposure assessment and risk evaluation. Before joining UK in 2009, Sanderson was a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, where he directed the Industrial Hygiene Training Program and the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. From 1978 to 2002, he served as a U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, culminating in his role as chief of the Industrial Hygiene Section. At UK, Sanderson has served as chair of the Department of Epidemiology and interim dean of the College of Public Health. [Each University Research Professor receives a one-year award of $10,000](https://engr.uky.edu/news/berry-and-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professors) to advance their research, scholarship and creative endeavors. [Faculty who receive the award may use the title "University Research Professor" for as long as they remain at UK.](https://www.research.uky.edu/support/university-research-professors) ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/wayne-t-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professor-qa) - [University Research Professors - UK Research](https://www.research.uky.edu/support/university-research-professors) - [Berry and Sanderson 2026-27 University Research Professors - Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering](https://engr.uky.edu/news/berry-and-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professors) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/research/wayne-t-sanderson-2026-27-university-research-professor-qa.