Richardson appointed to White House advisory board

Dr. David Richardson

David B. Richardson, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, was appointed by President Obama on Oct. 14 to the White House Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health.

Richardson said he looks forward to joining the board and is eager to face the challenges posed by more than six decades of nuclear weapons production and testing.

“Tens of thousands of men and women have worked on building the nation’s nuclear arsenal since World War II, and in the process, many were exposed to ionizing radiation, beryllium and hazards that are rare outside of the nuclear weapons production and testing complex,” he said. “I hope that we can do a better job of providing timely, adequate compensation to these workers and their families.”

Richardson’s research investigates occupational and environmental causes of disease, with a particular focus on ionizing radiation. He has served in various capacities at the University of North Carolina since 1996 when he began as a postdoctoral researcher.

He also has led a number of studies of workers at U.S. Department of Energy facilities focused on occupational health and radiation exposure issues. Previously, he worked at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima, Japan.

“Dr. Richardson’s appointment to this important board is a significant honor and reflects his considerable national reputation in conducting influential research on radiation and health,” said Andy Olshan, PhD, professor and chair of the epidemiology department.

Richardson received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University and a doctor of philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Other key administrative nominations and appointments announced simultaneously by the President include:

• Joseph F. Bader, Jessie H. Roberson, and Peter S. Winokur, nominated for positions on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board;
• Robert Reischauer, nominated for membership on the board of trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds;
• Alan Kessler, nominated for a position on the board of governors of the Postal Service; and
• Henry Anderson, R. William Field, and Richard Lemen, appointed, along with Richardson, to the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health.

In making the appointments, President Obama said, “I am grateful that these fine individuals will serve my administration in these important roles. Whether it is working to keep our sacred trust with our veterans, upholding the rights of workers and their families, or ensuring the safety and security of our nation, I am confident that they will serve the American people well. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.