What motivates us to want to be a part of something bigger and develop ourselves as individuals and professionals? For many industrial hygienists, the value they derive from their AIHA membership stems from their shared goal of protecting the safety and health of workers around the world, the stories that describe how they found their professional vocation, and the connection they feel to humanity through their work.

“It’s an exciting field,” says Hamid Arabzadeh, a member since 1988. “It's very technical and challenging, but also, it's very connected to human beings. So, my altruistic values and the [values of industrial] hygiene really coincide [with my work].”

For Jason Kunz, who joined in 2009, life on a family farm was one of the influences that led him to industrial hygiene and AIHA membership. “This is something I'm incredibly passionate about,” Kunz says. “My father was a farmer. I grew up at a family farm for 20 years in Minnesota, and [members of my family have] significant noise-induced hearing loss. And so to be able to connect with people who are truly the gurus in hearing conservation is really a gift, because then I can take that knowledge back and implement it—with my father and my family, but, just as importantly, with every worker.”

When asked what makes AIHA membership so valuable, members typically specify opportunities to network, build connections, develop professionally, and give back to the profession. As member Steve Eversmeyer says, AIHA is “in the business to support us. So, if I’m not a member, I can’t expect the organization to exist. And I can’t expect the organization to assist. Everybody has to work together.”

Belonging to AIHA, an association that works for you and with you, is what grows the profession and is the basis for a lasting and meaningful relationship of shared values. Reach your professional and individual goals through the opportunities and resources that AIHA membership provides and be a part of a network of like-minded individuals from different backgrounds whose common purpose is to help make the world a better place. In the words of AIHA member Justin Hoover, “We all have the same goal at the end of the day, and that's to create a sustainable, safer workplace for everyone.”

For more information on AIHA membership, visit the AIHA website​.