Erinn Finely
Contributing Writer
[email protected] 

Occupational safety and health professor Traci Byrd received the Neil Webber award in March. 

The Neil Webber award recognizes faculty for their academic contributions and for their outstanding service to the community on and off campus. It’s an award recognizing everything a professor does, not just the classroom.

Byrd was amazed upon receiving this award. 

 “Well, to be honest, I was super surprised, there are a lot of people who are absolutely more deserving than I am in our college, which is the Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology,” Byrd said. “I was blown away and incredibly honored once I saw the list of people who had received that award before. I mean, that’s an incredible list of people if you look back and see all those folks who have won that award.”

 Byrd teaches emergency medical classes and the occupational safety and health hazardous materials classes. She said part of her teaching involves her students putting on equipment and running through drills of how to clean up hazardous materials. 

Byrd has been teaching at Murray since August 2001. Before teaching, she worked at several places, including for the Murray Police Department  and Murray-Calloway County Hospital.

Byrd earned both her Bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and her Master’s degree in therapeutic recreation and Leisure Services at Murray State. She said she loves everything there is about Murray State. 

“In my department, we have some fantastic outgoing students and we’ve always had great faculty,” Byrd said. “Murray State has just always felt like home I guess.” 

Teaching has always been a part of Byrd’s life. At 16-years-old she started lifeguarding. She started her teaching career teaching swim lessons when she was 18-years-old. Byrd said she doesn’t just teach on campus, but in the community as well.

“I think it’s important that you give people life skills, not just skills they can use at work,” Byrd said “You give them skills that they can use wherever they happen to be.”

Byrd enjoys the classes she teaches, and the hands-on work she does with students.  She said she teaches a lot of undergrad and entry level classes and she really enjoys working with the freshman age group.  

“It’s great to have somebody recognize that you’re working hard and doing a good job,” Byrd said. “I appreciate my colleagues for recognizing what I do.”