FALLS CHURCH, VA -- Howard Berkes, a distinguished award-winning journalist and retired NPR Investigations Correspondent, will deliver the 2025 Upton Sinclair Memorial Lecture during AIHA Connect, the annual conference and expo for occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals hosted by AIHA.

Berkes' lecture, titled "Protecting Miners: Insights Into Black Lung Disease and Regulatory Challenges," will delve into the hidden epidemic of severe black lung disease affecting coal miners, a crisis uncovered through his extensive investigative work. The lecture is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT on Monday, May 19, at the Kansas City Convention Center.

His impactful work has revealed instances of progressive massive fibrosis exceeding official reports, alongside thousands of cases of excessive silica dust exposure and regulatory shortcomings. Attendees will learn about the significant changes prompted by these findings and hear compelling stories from the miners themselves.

AIHA Connect 2025 will take place from May 19 to 21 at the Kansas City Convention Center. Media representatives interested in obtaining press passes for the Upton Sinclair Memorial Lecture should contact Jessie Lewis, AIHA's director of marketing, at jlewis@aiha.org.