Presidential Safety Award from Environmental Health and Safety presented to two winners

Each year, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) recognizes individuals and teams who demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving safety at Purdue through the Presidential Safety Award. This year’s recipients, Dave Lucas from Operations and Maintenance and Savannah Peterson from Facilities Operations exhibit that safety takes many forms and that every member of the Purdue community has the ability to make a meaningful impact.

Dave Lucas

Dave has reinvigorated Operations and Maintenance (O&M) safety by strengthening employee engagement and fostering a more collaborative, people-focused safety culture. Over the past year, he has helped energize safety teams through open communication, hands-on involvement and consistent follow-through on concerns. Dave also champions employee recognition across O&M, celebrating both everyday successes and major milestones that reinforce Purdue’s commitment to safety. His leadership was instrumental in launching the Facilities Operations and Environmental Health and Safety (FOEHS) Safety Reward Program and guiding supervisors in motivating their teams. Dave’s supportive approach and commitment to continuous improvement have made a meaningful impact on safety across the organization.

Savannah Peterson

From Facilities Operations in the College of Science, Savannah is recognized for her outstanding dedication to improving safety within Purdue’s research laboratories. She routinely goes above and beyond in preparing labs for new occupants, tackling the detailed work of identifying, documenting and submitting hundreds, sometimes thousands, of chemical containers for proper disposal. Her accuracy and organization greatly streamline hazardous materials processing and help ensure safe, compliant lab transitions. Savannah’s proactive communication, meticulous attention to detail and consistently positive attitude have set a high standard for collaboration and safety. Her commitment makes her an invaluable asset to the research community and the university.

EHS is part of the Administrative Operations organization. The organization supports the university through safe, reliable and transformative services. Recognizing and advancing safety efforts is just one of the many ways the organization helps power Purdue. To learn more about the daily operations of the organization, follow us on Instagram at @purdueoperations and Facebook at Purdue Administrative Operations.

More information about the Presidential Safety Award, including the nomination process and photos of the winners, is available on the EHS website.