Doubt Science and the Degradation of Expertise

Join us for our final Shabbat Voices of 2026 with Dr. David Michaels, former Ass’t Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA).

David Michaels PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. He has held high-level, Senate-confirmed public health positions, including as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health from 1998-2001. His primary responsibility was protecting the health and safety of workers, the neighboring communities and the environment surrounding the nation’s nuclear weapons facilities. From 2009 – 2017, Dr. Michaels served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA and was the longest serving administrator in OSHA’s history. During his tenure, Dr. Michaels issued new rules on workplace safety, injury and illness record-keeping and reporting, and hazard communications.

Much of Dr. Michaels’ current work centers on safety and health management systems, and the importance of workplace safety in achieving operational excellence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Michaels focused much of his work on improving the protection of workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2. He was a member of the Biden-Harris Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board and the Lancet COVID-19 Commission Task Force on Safe Work, Safe School, and Safe Travel. Throughout his career, Dr. Michaels has focused on the health of disadvantaged communities and the impact of infectious diseases on underserved populations. Learn more about his work here.

Sponsored by Claire Engers and David Silberman in memory of Charles and Arlene Silberman.