Dr. Jennifer Lincoln Named Northeast Center Hero Award Recipient
Associate Director of NIOSH Office of Agricultural Safety and Health Recognized
Nov. 17, 2025 (COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The Northeast Center for Occupational Safety and Health (NEC) is proud to announce the recipient of its eighth annual Hero Award: Dr. Jennifer Lincoln of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Dr. Lincoln has dedicated more than 30 years to public service as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service, working tirelessly to ensure that farmers, loggers, and commercial fishermen return home safely at the end of each workday.
“Dr. Lincoln is the epitome of a dedicated public health servant,” said NEC Director Dr. Julie Sorensen. “Her name is well known in occupational health and safety circles, but even more importantly, she is recognized and respected by the workers whose lives she has helped protect.”
She has been internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research into the leading causes of fatalities in the fishing industry, as well as for developing practical and policy-based solutions to improve safety.
“Jennifer Lincoln has been a critical leader for commercial fishing vessel safety,” said current Alaska Marine Safety and Education Association Director (AMSEA) Director Leann Cyr. “Advocating for life-saving training for fishermen, improved engineering and design, and policy since the early 90s, Dr. Lincoln is responsible for many, many lives saved.”
In her current role as Associate Director of the NIOSH Agriculture Safety and Health Centers, Dr. Lincoln has expanded her advocacy to include logging and agriculture, applying her expertise to improve safety across these high-risk sectors. She has also led national efforts to ensure the collection and dissemination of reliable data on occupational fatalities; critical work that helps identify emerging safety issues and guide public health research priorities.
“[Dr.] Lincoln has worked for over three and a half decades forging relationships in fishing safety with fish workers, the Coast Guard, and many other fishing safety researchers and entities,” said former AMSEA Director Jerry Dzugan, “which coincided with a 75% drop in fishing fatalities during this period. She has been a trusted leader in fishing safety nationally and internationally and has developed interventions which have addressed the leading causes of fishing fatalities and been the single unifying force in bringing this collaboration together.”
Dr. Lincoln’s distinguished career includes service on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 response team. She was named a Leader in the Field by the Journal of Agromedicine in 2022 and received the National Fisherman magazine’s prestigious Highliner Award in 2021.
“Challenging the status quo has helped Dr. Lincoln stay on the forefront of change both in public health and for the workforces we serve,” said NEC Deputy Director Dr. Erika Scott. “She sets the example to never rest on one’s laurels, instead always seeking new knowledge and building partnerships to enhance the greater good.”
The NEC is honored to recognize Dr. Lincoln’s lifelong commitment to protecting the health and safety of America’s agricultural, forestry, and fishing workers.
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About The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC)
The NEC works to address prominent occupational hazards in agricultural, forestry, and fishing (AgFF) industries by working with local worker communities to develop solutions. Funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the NEC supports AgFF communities across 12 states in the Northeast. The NEC conducts research, develops innovative safety programs, and provides resources to workers in these challenging industries. To learn more about the NEC, visit necenter.org or email info@necenter.org. To inquire about this article or additional press materials, contact Allison Flanagan: allison.flanagan@bassett.org, 800-343-7527.