International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health Honors Colorado State University’s Lorann Stallones

Lorann Stallones, a professor of psychology and the director of the Colorado Injury Control Research Center at Colorado State University, was selected to receive the Research Achievement Award from the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health. She was honored for her groundbreaking work in injury prevention and global health research that has shaped the field in areas of suicide prevention and agricultural health and safety.

“It is an honor to be recognized by ISASH,” said Dr. Stallones. “The organization is dedicated to professional development of agricultural safety and health leaders and provides opportunities to share research and intervention programs and networking.”

Professor Stallones’ work has focused on agricultural injuries and contributed to the body of evidence that farmers and their families experienced unprecedented levels of both fatal and nonfatal injuries and illnesses due to the hazards encountered related to farm work. In response to this finding, Stallones collaborated with an extensive global network of researchers across multiple disciplines and countries to bring attention to the unique and previously under-researched environmental risks to agricultural workers including youth and migrant workers. Her research investigated the possible explanations for the high suicide rates found among farmers, specifically the role of pesticides in the pathway leading to suicidal behavior.

Dr. Stallones explained that “I view supporting farmers and farm workers as a central issue for public health. Many years ago, I was told that each farmer provided food and fiber for 130 people. That seems like a central thing that is missed when we talk about our food system as though it were not totally dependent on those boots-on-the-ground workers.”

Profesor Stallones received a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned a master of public health degree and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health.