Agenda
Day 1: September 29, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM ET
Day 2: September 30, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET
Sponsor
Sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.
Objectives
This workshop will examine personal protective equipment (PPE) needs and best practices to protect workers in high-risk U.S. farm settings and control Influenza A(H5N1) transmission between livestock and humans. The workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions to:
Day 1 will explore how H5N1 spreads across species and what this means for PPE use in high-risk farm environments. Sessions will cover transmission risks, PPE regulatory structures, and current biosecurity practices, while highlighting real-world challenges farmworkers face when using PPE. Participants will also examine how risk perception, education, and trust influence PPE adoption, and they will identify community-level and systemic barriers to PPE access. Emphasis will be placed on the role of trusted organizations and what they need to better support worker protection and pandemic preparedness in the agricultural sector.
Welcome and Overview of the Workshop
| 10:00 a.m. | Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| Shawn Gibbs, Workshop Chair Dean, School of Public Health Dean’s Chair and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Texas A&M University |
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| 10:15 a.m. | National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Opening Remarks |
| Maryann D’Alessandro Director National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
| National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) Opening Remarks | |
| Lizette Durand Chief Veterinary Officer Influenza Division National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
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| Session 1 | Stage Setting: Current State of Knowledge on H5N1 Transmission and Implications for PPE Use |
| 10:45 a.m. | Session Introduction |
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Matthew Nonnenmann, Planning Committee Member Professor University of Nebraska Medical Center
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| 10:50 a.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Animal Infection and Transmission
Jason Lombard |
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Environmental Transmission
Seema Lakdawala |
| Human Infection and Transmission Rachel Herlihy State Epidemiologist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) |
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| 11:30 a.m. | Audience Q&A |
| Session 2 | Stage Setting: Current Practices and Policies for H5N1 Infection Control and Prevention in Farm Settings |
| 11:45 a.m. | Session Introduction |
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Michelle Kromm, Planning Committee Member Principal Food Forward, LLC
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| 11:50 a.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Systems or Federal Perspective
John Gibbins |
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Public Health Perspective
Stacy Holzbauer |
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Poultry Perspective
Caitlin Green |
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Dairy Perspective
Joe Armstrong |
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| 12:30 p.m. | Audience Q&A |
| 12:45 p.m. | BREAK |
| Session 3 | Problem Setting: Individual Barriers to PPE Use for H5N1 Infection Control and Prevention in High-Risk Farm Settings |
| 1:15 p.m. | Session Introduction |
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Beth Lipton, Planning Committee Member Washington State Public Health Veterinarian Washington State Department of Health
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| 1:20 p.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Insights from Farm Workers and Producers
Brent Wilson |
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Research-Based Perspectives from the Field and Practical Experiences from Researchers
Anabel Rodriguez |
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Bethany Boggess Alcauter |
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Training and Education Programs
Anna Meyerhoff |
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Agricultural Extension Perspectives
Gino Lorenzoni |
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| 2:20 p.m. | Audience Q&A |
| Session 4 | Problem Setting: Systemic Barriers to H5N1 Infection Control and Prevention in High-Risk Farm Settings |
| 2:45 p.m. | Session Introduction |
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Anabel Rodriguez, Planning Committee Member Assistant Professor Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Texas A&M University
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| 2:50 p.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Farmworker Advocacy Organizations
Amy K. Liebman |
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Producers and Co-ops
Martín J. Carrasquillo-Mangual |
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Promotoras and Community Partners
Lus Chávez |
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Ma Elena Gutierrez |
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| 3:50 p.m. | Audience Q&A |
Day 1 Wrap-Up
| 4:15 p.m. | Chair’s Reflection and Preview of Day 2 |
| Shawn Gibbs, Workshop Chair Dean, School of Public Health Dean’s Chair and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Texas A&M University |
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| 4:30 p.m. | Day 1 Adjourns |
Day 2 focuses on forward-looking strategies to enhance PPE effectiveness and adoption through innovation, training, and systems integration. Sessions will highlight successful behavior-change programs, communication strategies, and collaborative efforts to strengthen farm-level preparedness within a broader national health and food security framework.
Welcome and Recap of Day 1
| 10:00 a.m. | Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| Shawn Gibbs, Workshop Chair Dean, School of Public Health Dean’s Chair and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Texas A&M University |
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| Session 5 | Opportunities: Improving Existing PPE Access and Feasibility of Use |
| 10:15 a.m. | Session Introduction |
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Ximena Vergara, Planning Committee Member Chief, Hazard Evaluation System and Information Service California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology University of California, Los Angeles – Fielding School of Public Health
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| 10:20 a.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Worker Health – Project PROTECT
Elon Ullman |
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Engaging Partners in PPE Distribution
Heather Riden |
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Research Priorities
Jin Pan |
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| 11:00 a.m. | Audience Q&A |
| Session 6 | Opportunities: Innovative PPE Technology and Research |
| 11:15 a.m. | Session Introduction |
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Herek L. Clack, Planning Committee Member Associate Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Cofounder, Co-chief Executive Officer, and Chief Scientific Officer for Taza Aya
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| 11:20 a.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Research Priorities and Gaps
James Coburn |
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Lessons Learned from Innovative Respirators
Richard Gordon |
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Wearable Air Curtains: Novel Respiratory Protection Against Airborne Pathogens
Herek L. Clack, Planning Committee Member |
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Wearable Technologies and Design of PPE
Lucy Dunne |
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Regulatory Pathways and Standards
Sundaresan Jayaraman |
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| 12:20 p.m. | Audience Q&A |
| 12:45 p.m. | BREAK |
| Session 7 | Implementation Considerations: Communications, Training, and Education Needs and Strategies |
| 1:15 p.m. | Session Introduction |
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Bethany Boggess Alcauter, Planning Committee Member Director of Research and Public Health Programs National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH)
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| 1:20 p.m. | Panel Presentations |
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Health Communications and Information Accessibility
Sara Floor |
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Lisbeth Gall |
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Training and Education Programs
Carolyn Sheridan |
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Jenna Gibbs |
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| 2:05 p.m. | Audience Q&A |
| Session 8 | Optimizing PPE for High-Risk Farm Settings: Next Steps Stakeholder Roundtable |
| 2:15 p.m. | Session Introduction |
| 2:20 p.m. | Roundtable Discussion |
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Michael Payne, Planning Committee Member Dairy Outreach Coordinator Western Institute for Food Safety and Security Director, California Dairy Quality Assurance Program
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Industry Stakeholders
Ashley Peterson |
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Anja Raudabaugh |
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Oscar Garrison |
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Research Stakeholders
Edie Marshall |
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Public Health, Emergency Management, and Agricultural Department Stakeholders
Jennifer Nuzzo |
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One Health Experts
Meghan F. Davis |
Day 2 Wrap-Up
| 3:30 p.m. | Sponsor Closing Remarks |
| Maryann D’Alessandro Director National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
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| 3:45 p.m. | Workshop Closing Remarks |
| Shawn Gibbs, Workshop Chair Dean, School of Public Health Dean’s Chair and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Texas A&M University |
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| 4:00 p.m. | ADJOURN |
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