Joint Safety Team Honored with HSRM Safety Champion Award

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (04/20/2026) — Congratulations to the Joint Safety Team (JST) on being awarded the Safety Champion Award from the University of Minnesota’s Health, Safety, and Risk Management (HSRM) department. The Safety Champion Award is presented by HSRM to a safety committee or individual that has demonstrated excellence in research or workplace safety. The award was accepted by JST co-presidents Jaya Jakhar (PhD candidate in Chemistry) and Homayra Tabassum Mumu (PhD candidate in CEMS) at the HSRM Spring Meeting.

JST is a student-led organization at the University of Minnesota focused on strengthening the culture of safety in chemical research laboratories. The team promotes safety through Compliance, Awareness, Resources, and Education (CARE) and supports initiatives such as lab walkthroughs, safety trainings, signage standardization, Safety Moments, cleanup events, and outreach activities. This collaborative effort involves graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, staff, and approximately 80 Laboratory Safety Officers (LSOs) who support safety practices across research groups. JST was established in 2012 through a partnership between Dow Chemical Company and the Chemistry and CEMS departments and has since become a model adopted by several departments across the country.

Co-president Homayra Tabassum Mumu shared, “This recognition reflects the contributions of the broader JST membership and departmental safety community within CHEM and CEMS. I would particularly like to thank all the committee chairs for their hard work and dedication.”

Congratulations, JST! Learn more about JST on their website.