Dr. Bill Field, a supporter and scientific advisor of the School Radon Training & Support System, will be awarded the 2017 Iowa Cancer Champion Award on October 18 during the Iowa Cancer Summit. This honor is given each year by the Iowa Cancer Consortium to an individual and/or organization who demonstrates commitment to reducing the burden of cancer in Iowa through work on policy, systems and environmental change.
Field, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health and a nationally recognized radon expert, was nominated by Gail Orcutt, radon-induced lung cancer survivor, and Julie Weisshaar, EAIS executive director. Field was nominated for championing policy and systems change to reduce exposure to radon and ultimately reduce radon-induced lung cancer in Iowa. Weisshaar writes, “He helped identify radon as the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and remains dedicated to educating the public about the health risks of radon and ways to reduce exposure in homes, schools and at work.”
Among the efforts referenced in Fields’s nominations were his leadership of the Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study, acting as a scientific advisor for the School Radon Training & Support System, leading advocacy to develop policy requiring school radon testing, advocating for required radon testing with real estate sales, and advocating for required radon mitigation systems in new home construction.
Congratulations and thank you, Dr. Field!