These student projects are/were conducted, completed and/or published under my supervision and/or guidance as a research adviser.
Master’s Student Projects
Linda Youmans-McDonald, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2013
- Research project title: A Cost-Effective and Efficient Method for Measuring Low Level Beryllium and Other Metals on a Single Air Filter or Surface Wipe (Professional Paper)
Joe Amiotte, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2013
- Research project title: Seat Belt Usage Intervention for Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota (Professional Paper)
- Related publication: Amiotte J, Balanay J and Humphrey C (2016). Seat Belt Usage Interventions for Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. Journal of Environmental Health 78(6): 46-52.
Amber Sarver, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2013
- Research project title: Estimating Employee Noise Exposure Profiles Using Task-Based Time-Motion Summaries (Professional Paper)
John McLamb, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2013
- Research project title: Comparison of Safety Culture Principles at Biomedical Research Institutions (Professional Paper)
Adepeju Adesina, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2014
- Research project title: Assessment of Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Exposure among Working College Students
- Rendered a poster presentation of the study results during the NC Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Annual Meeting 2013
- Project title: Determination of Breathing Resistance Across Activated Carbon Fiber Respirator Cartridges using Sinusoidal Airflow (Thesis)
- Rendered an oral presentation of her thesis during the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) 2014
Wiley Cockrell, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2014
- Research project title: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Engineering Controls in Noise Reduction Related to “4-Roll Calender” Operations in Tire Manufacturing Machinery
- Related publication: Cockrell W, Balanay J and Dawkins W (2015). Engineering Control of Noise from 4-Roll Calender Operations in Tire Manufacturing. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 12: D193-D200.
Arnold Raynor, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2015
- Research project title: Promotion of Environmental Public Health and Safety into the Plans, Policies, and Practices of Urban Planning and Inspections (Professional Paper)
Adam Mannarino, MS Environmental Health/Master of Public Health
- Year graduated: 2015
- Research project title: Noise Exposure Assessment among Groundskeepers (Professional Paper)
- Rendered a poster presentation of his research study results during the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) 2015
- Rendered an oral presentation of his professional paper during the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Carolinas Spring Conference 2015
- Won the 2015 Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) Student Research Competition for his research study “Noise Exposure Assessment among Groundskeepers: A Pilot Study”
- Rendered both platform and poster presentations during the National Environmental Health Association’s Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition (NEHA AEC) 2015
- Related publication: Balanay JG, Kearney GD and Mannarino AJ (2016). Noise Exposure Assessment among Groundskeepers in a University Setting: A Pilot Study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 13(3): 193-202.
Sarah Bajwa, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2016
- Research project title: Indoor Environmental Assessments in Homes of Coharie American Indians (Professional Paper)
Casey Radford, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2016
- Research project title: Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Buncombe County Children: Sources and Question of Necessity of Lowering North Carolina Intervention Level (Professional Paper)
- Related publication: Radford CP, Balanay JG, Featherstone A and Kelley T (2018). Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Buncombe County Children: Implications of Lowering the North Carolina Intervention Level to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Blood Lead Reference Value. Journal of Environmental Health 80(10): 16-22.
Nicole Beck, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2016
- Research project title: Exposure to Heat Stress, Solar Ultraviolet Radiation and Other Occupational Health Hazards among Groundskeepers at East Carolina University (Thesis)
- Rendered a poster presentation of her thesis results during the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) 2016 and the National Public Health Week 2016
- Rendered an oral presentation of her thesis during the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Carolinas Fall Conference 2016
- Related publication: Beck N, Balanay JG, Johnson T (2018). Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Heat Stress and Solar Ultraviolet Radiation among Groundskeepers in an Eastern North Carolina University Setting. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 15(2): 105-116.
Chelsea Curry, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2017
- Research project title: Environmental Health and Safety Management of Electronic Cigarettes (Professional Paper)
Nwanne Agada, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2017
- Research project title: Evaluation of Different Methods to Assess Duration of Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Clothing against Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes After Repeated Washing (Thesis)
- Rendered a poster presentation of her thesis during the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) 2017, the National Public Health Week 2017, and the Climate Change and Health Symposium 2017
- Related publication: Richards SL, Agada N, Balanay JG and White AV (2018). Permethrin Treated Clothing to Protect Outdoor Workers: Evaluation of Different Methods for Mosquito Exposure Against Populations of Differing Resistance Status. Pathogen and Global Health 112(1): 13-21.
Nadya Majette-Elliott, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2017
- Research project title: Examining Sources of High Noise Levels in Occupational Settings (Professional Paper)
Jessica Trotman, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2018
- Research project title: Heat-Related Illness in Senior Populations of Polk, McDowell and Rutherford Counties of North Carolina: A Survey of Senior Centers (Professional Paper)
Kevin Kearney, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2018
- Research project title: Exposure Control and Process Safety of Monomers in Selected Plastics and Rubber Industries (Professional Paper)
Pahola Salas, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2018
- Research project title: Effects of Thermal Regeneration of Activated Carbon Fibers on Adsorption Characteristics for Toluene (Thesis)
Gabriel Beattie-Sergio, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2019
- Research project title: Determining the Relationship of Airborne Mold Count with Indoor Temperature and Relative Humidity in Flooded Homes in Eastern North Carolina (Professional Paper)
Constantine Unanka, MS Environmental Heath/ Master of Public Health
- Year graduated: 2020
- Research project title: Assessment of Breakthrough Occurrence in Respirator Filter Cartridge using Dimethoate (Professional Paper)
Christina Gardner, MS Environmental Heath
- Year graduated: 2020
- Research project title: Radon Exposure Experienced by Residents in Mountainous Communities of North Carolina and Resident Knowledge of the Dangers of Radon (Professional Paper)
Astrid Haugen, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2020
- Research project title: Environmental Contributors to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Federal-Funded Research (Professional Paper)
Nana-Obaayaa Owusu, MS Environmental Health
- Year graduated: 2022
- Research project title: Solar Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation Exposure in an Eastern North Carolina Outdoor Working Environment During Cold Months (Thesis)
- Rendered an oral presentation of her thesis during the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) 2022, April 5, 2022
- Won the 2022 Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) Student Research Competition for her research study “Solar Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation Exposure in Outdoor Working Environment During Cold Months”
- Rendered both platform and poster presentations during the National Environmental Health Association’s Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition (NEHA AEC) 2022 at Spokane, Washington
- Related publication: Owusu N, Sousan S, Richards SL and Balanay JG (2023). Occupational Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in an Eastern North Carolina University Outdoor Setting during the Four Seasons. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. doi:10.1080/15459624.2023.2264331 (accepted author version posted online on Sept. 27, 2023).
Doctoral Student Project
Danielle Carter, Doctor of Public Health (DrPH – EOH Concentration) student, 2018 – 2022
- Research project title: Reliability of Mobile Apps as Alternative Exposure Assessment Methods for Heat Stress and Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Agricultural Settings in Eastern North Carolina
- Related publication 1: Dillane D and Balanay JG (2020). Comparison between OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App and WBGT Monitor to Assess Heat Stress Risk in Agriculture. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 17(4): 181-192.
- Related publication 2: Dillane D and Balanay JG (2021). Comparison between EPA UV Index App and UV Monitor to Assess Risk for Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure in Agricultural Settings in Eastern North Carolina. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 18(1): 16-27.