Bonnie Johnson
July 17, 2025
Media ArticleBarbara Lee, Ph.D., associate director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, earned the top honor from the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH). She received the Maynard Coe Professional Achievement Award for her lifelong work in agricultural safety, leadership, research, and policy.
ISASH presents this award to recognize individuals for their lasting impact on agricultural safety and health. Coe, for whom the award is named, helped make farm safety a recognized field.
“This is a really special award that needs to be shared with a lot of people,” Lee says. “I have had the good fortune of working with so many talented and passionate people, and together we have had a positive impact on childhood agricultural injury prevention. We’ve been able to grow these collaborations and now have safety advocates around the world. It’s important to celebrate the successes we have had.”
Lee works at the National Farm Medicine Center, home to the National Children’s Center. Her leadership has helped establish child agricultural injury prevention as a key focus both nationally and internationally.
“Dr. Lee’s work and collaborations are of the highest caliber,” says Casper Bendixsen, Ph.D., Farm Medicine director.
The agricultural worksite remains among the most hazardous in the U.S., often with children present. The National Children’s Center developed guidelines for safe chores, leading to a 56% drop-in youth farm injury rates from 1998 to 2009.
Lee’s influence includes hosting national safety events, advising groups like the National Tractor Safety Coalition, and founding the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America. In 2024, she becomes associate director of the National Children’s Center, continuing research and mentoring leaders.
“Dr. Lee’s commitment to child agricultural health and safety continues as she mentors and guides emerging leaders within the field and engages in novel research,” says Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., National Children’s Center director.
Lee’s latest publication sparks national discussion on rural safety. She donates her Coe Award prize to the ISASH Endowment Fund, continuing her legacy of leadership in agricultural safety.
Photo by: marshfieldresearch.org
