Carri Casteel, professor of occupational and environmental health in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, recently received the 2024 Distinguished Career Award from the APHA Injury Control and Emergency Health Services (ICEHS) Section. The award was presented Oct. 28 at the ICEHS Section dinner.

The Distinguished Career Award is given for outstanding dedication and leadership in the science of injury control and emergency health services, with contributions and achievements that have a significant and long-term impact on the field of injury.

Casteel is the director of the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center, a CDC-funded center, and program director for the Occupational Injury Prevention Program within the NIOSH-funded Heartland Center for Occupational Safety and Health at the University of Iowa. Since 1995, she has actively contributed to the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services section of the American Public Health Association, including roles on award and development committees. Her career in injury control spans research, teaching, and service.

Casteel has secured nearly $34 million in research funding to reduce injury and injury-related deaths, especially among vulnerable populations, by translating evidence-based strategies into practice. Her research has notably focused on violence reduction against workers, including evaluating the effectiveness of video surveillance systems in reducing robberies and working with law enforcement to implement robbery prevention programs in small businesses. Additionally, she has examined business owner characteristics linked to the adoption of violence prevention policies and identified risk and protective factors for violence among young workers.

In her commitment to addressing issues critical to Iowa’s rural population, she has researched older adult falls and the opioid epidemic, collaborating with community partners on medication deprescribing to reduce falls and motor vehicle crashes among rural adults. Her work also includes evaluating the impact of community-based fall prevention networks on older adults. Dr. Casteel has led the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center through a successful 5-year competitive renewal, contributing to its long-term funding and has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles. She has received multiple awards for her research, including from the University of Iowa College of Public Health, the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health, and the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR).

As a teacher, Casteel is highly regarded by her students and peers. She is a four-time recipient of the Thank-a-Teacher award from the University of Iowa Center for Teaching and has been recognized by the University of Iowa LEAD Program and the College of Public Health Faculty for her teaching excellence. In her role as program director for the Occupational Injury Prevention Program, Casteel ensures that doctoral students receive cutting-edge instruction in occupational and epidemiological methods, preparing the next generation of injury control experts for future challenges. Throughout her tenure, she has formally advised and mentored at least 32 master’s and doctoral students.

Casteel is deeply committed to service, focusing on improving injury control research and nurturing the next generation of experts in the field. She has served the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health as an elected study section member for the Safety and Occupational Health Study grant review section and as a consultant to the Division of Safety Research. Additionally, she has held leadership roles in the Society for Violence and Injury Research, including Board Member, President-Elect, President, and Past President. She remains an active member of the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services section of the American Public Health Association.