Rate My Professor Abby Chapman

Abby Chapman is an Associate Professor of Occupational Safety at Fairmont State University, where she also serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology and Program Coordinator for the Occupational Safety program in the College of Science and Technology. A Fairmont State University alumna, she earned her B.S. degree from the university in 2004 and subsequently obtained her M.S. from West Virginia University. As a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Chapman possesses over 20 years of experience in safety, health, and environmental (SHE) regulations, which informs her teaching and leadership in occupational safety education.

Chapman's commitment to excellence in teaching was recognized with the William A. Boram Award, Fairmont State University's most prestigious honor for instructional achievement, dedication, and student-centered pedagogy, awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year. In March 2024, she was promoted to Associate Professor of Occupational Safety and granted tenure. She plays a pivotal role in advancing STEM opportunities for underrepresented students as Co-Principal Investigator on a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant. This initiative supports low-income students in the College of Science and Technology by providing scholarships, targeted recruitment, cohort building, networking, curricular enhancements, and co-curricular activities to boost enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in fields such as Occupational Safety. Furthermore, Chapman is a team member on the $1,990,600 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER Initiative project titled 'Building Connections to Grow Capacity: Breaking Down Regional Barriers in the STEM Workforce Pipeline.' This effort unites industry partners, academia, educators, students, jobseekers, and workforce organizations in North Central West Virginia through a Regional Collaborative to strengthen the STEM workforce pipeline. She has contributed to faculty governance via committee assignments, including Faculty Senate, and engaged the community through the 'Falcons Beyond the Classroom' podcast in September 2024. Under her coordination, the ABET-accredited B.S. in Occupational Safety equips students with expertise in safety management, accident prevention, safety law, construction safety, industrial hygiene, toxicology, fire prevention, and hands-on laboratory experiences for careers in occupational health and safety.