CHICAGO, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS Chief AI Officer Dr. Julia Penfield has earned a top honor at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards, recognized as the Overall Winner in the Innovative Individual category for applying AI to one of the most persistent challenges in industry: preventing serious workplace incidents and fatalities. Under her leadership, VelocityEHS has developed an AI-enabled Accelerate® Platform that embeds intelligence directly into daily workflows, helping organizations protect their employees.
“As AI scientists, we have an obligation to use every tool available to keep people safe at work. If AI can identify hidden risks and prevent serious incidents before they happen, choosing not to use it isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a failure of responsibility,” says Dr. Penfield.
In the United States, workplace fatality rates have remained relatively flat for more than two decades—even as overall injury rates have declined—highlighting a persistent gap in preventing the most serious incidents. Closing that gap is central to Dr. Penfield’s work.
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards recognize organizations and individuals advancing AI beyond experimentation into practical, accountable deployment. This year’s winners span 36 industries and more than 15 countries.
“AI has arrived. 2026 is about execution, accountability, and results,” said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “Dr. Penfield stood out because her work reflects where the market is headed: practical AI that solves real problems, earns trust, and delivers measurable value. This recognition highlights a leader who is helping define what meaningful progress looks like.”
Further validating Penfield’s work, independent research firm Verdantix published a case study on March 16, 2026, titled “The VelocityEHS AI Roadmap: Strategy and EHS Priority Areas,” recognizing VelocityEHS as a “forerunner in AI-enabled EHS software.” The report highlights how the company’s AI—developed under Dr. Penfield’s leadership—supports the management of five critical domains: safety, operational risk, ergonomics, chemical management, and contractor safety.
Dr. Penfield’s approach combines academic rigor with product execution, incorporating university researchers into product development teams and partnering with certified ergonomists, safety professionals, and industrial hygienists. This ensures AI remains transparent, ethical, and grounded in real-world expertise. In addition, her team’s innovations are validated through seven peer-reviewed scientific publications, including two in Nature Scientific Reports.
“AI doesn’t improve safety on its own, people do,” said Matt Airhart, CEO of VelocityEHS. “Dr. Penfield has built models that bring human expertise and AI together in a way customers trust. Technology built by scientists gives organizations confidence that these solutions will help protect their people. We’re proud to celebrate this award with her.”
The models developed by Dr. Penfield's team have advanced AI in EHS and power VelocityAI—the intelligence behind Vēlo, the personified, embedded assistant within the Accelerate® Platform—delivering trusted, in-the-flow guidance that helps organizations predict and prevent risk. Building on this foundation, VelocityEHS offers a new generation of AI-driven capabilities and enhancements, including:
- AI-Powered 3D Motion Capture: Identifies ergonomic-related risk factors and recommends corrective actions with greater precision than traditional 2D methods
- AI Hand and Wrist Assessment (Launching Spring 2026): Detects subtle, repetitive exposures patterns in hand-intensive tasks
- Incident Management: AI PSIF Insights, AI Description Analyzer, AI Hazard Analyzer, AI Root Cause Identifier, and AI Corrective Action Advisor
- Job Safety Analysis: AI Description Analyzer, AI Hazard Analyzer, and AI Control Recommendations
Contractor Safety & Permit to Work
- AI- Driven Document Review: Processes CIOs, OSHA logs, and safety records up to seven-time faster than manual reviews
- AI-Powered Ingredient Insights: Identifies all ingredients on a product’s Safety Data Sheet to reveal chemical inventories
Today, VelocityEHS solutions support the health and safety of more than 10 million workers across 19,000 organizations worldwide, enabling a shift from reactive compliance to proactive, data-driven prevention.
Read about Dr. Penfield’s research on the VelocityEHS website.
About VelocityEHS
VelocityEHS is the global leader in EHS & Sustainability software, pioneering human-centered AI to make workplaces safer, faster. Protecting over ten million workers worldwide, our Accelerate® Platform delivers AI-driven innovation across Safety, Ergonomics, Chemical Management, and Operational Risk, and with standalone solutions Contractor Safety & Permit to Work, Environmental Compliance, and Sustainability.
With the deepest bench of certified experts, from PhD AI/ML scientists to board-certified ergonomists and safety professionals, VelocityEHS ensures trusted, human-in-the-loop oversight.
Recognized as a 2025 Verdantix Green Quadrant Leader and SOC 2 Type II attested, we help companies outpace risk with speed and purpose. Learn more at www.EHS.com.
Media Contact
Jennifer Sinkwitts
jsinkwitts@ehs.com
