Pamela Heckel, Ph.D., P.E. is the former Project Officer for the Prevention through Design Initiative at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She earned the doctorate in environmental engineering in 2007 from the University of Cincinnati. Her doctoral research used a terrestrial insect as a surrogate for human, occupational exposure to ambient mercury. She developed a novel, complex air pollutant dispersion model to predict ambient concentrations along roadsides. She conducted epidemiological research studies and modeled occupational exposures to mercury during a post-doctoral fellowship in the College of Medicine. In addition to the doctorate in engineering, she has undergraduate engineering degrees from Vanderbilt and Purdue, a Master's in Architecture and is a registered engineer in Ohio. Prior to NIOSH, Dr. Heckel's work experience includes design and manufacturing of nuclear reactors and construction of nuclear containment facilities. She designed a laminar drill platform used to manufacture the stainless steel internal structure of a nuclear reactor. She worked as a field engineer on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline where she managed the steel yard and supervised a union crew of Boilermakers, Teamsters and Operators. She was a pioneer in developing computerized inventory-control systems at Boeing and later worked on the Customer Engineering Sales Support team for the 737. At General Electric, she performed life cycle analysis on the CFM56 engines that power the 737 aircraft and wrote the LM1600 engine test manual. She supervised the contract employees from Essig Research.
This year, she joined the Board of the international Air & Waste Management Association. Dr. Heckel applied for patents on two Type II medical devices: an ergonomic grip and a device to treat hammertoes. In addition to journal publications and conference presentations, she has published a play (Uncle Doc), two textbooks (Putting People First the Theory of Universal Design and Environmental Mercury Exposure of Terrestrial Life Forms), and musical scores for Psalms 1 & 2. She is the President and CEO of the Five Minute Church, Inc. a web-based ministry. Dr. Heckel and her husband Walter recently celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary. They have four adult children.
