KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- On July 7, 2026, the Military Section of the Health Physics Society presented their Young Health Physicist of the Year as the Air Force Safety Center’s Capt. Gabrielle Baugh. This award is presented to a young military health physicist or health physics technician to recognize excellence in research and development, discovery or invention, devotion to military health physics, or significant contributions to the profession of health physics.
The Health Physics Society is a scientific organization of professionals who specialize in radiation safety. Its mission is excellence in the science, practice, communication, and application of radiation safety and protection. The mission of the Health Physics Society’s Military Section is to disseminate information related to military health physics, provide a forum for military health physicists, and promote professional development among military health physicists.
Baugh has distinguished herself among nominees from every branch of service through her many accomplishments.
As the chief of Directed Energy Safety, she is responsible for reviewing all electromagnetic weapon systems and devices before they are approved for Department of the Air Force use. Once approved, she writes and updates policy on directed energy use in the Air Force and Space Force. Baugh is also the executive secretary for the Department of War Laser System Safety and Transmitted Electromagnetic Radiation Protection Working Groups assembling over 70 specialists to discuss vital medical interests regarding use of directed energy systems. Her leadership and influence increased directed energy health-related collaboration between all DoW military services, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other government stakeholders.
Baugh stressed the important role of safety in Bioenvironmental Engineering.
“The field of Bioenvironmental Engineering is built around preventative medicine,” said Baugh. “We make sure your units and workplaces are safe. Whether it’s that all your chemicals are properly stored in a chemical locker, your HVAC system is taking toxic particulates out of a room, you aren’t receiving high radiation doses while working around x-rays, or even taking water samples to make sure the water you drink is free from bacterial and microplastics, our goal is to keep people safe.”
In September 2024, Baugh completed a demanding and prestigious Air Force Surgeon General Fellowship at the Air Force Research Laboratory in electromagnetic biological effects. She used her education and research to develop a human bioeffects data sheet to provide more comprehensive health effects comparisons. Additionally, Baugh collected and analyzed first-of-its-kind high power microwave data to validate hazardous biological safety models, providing the Biomedical Engineering community with unprecedented data.
Baugh is grateful for the support of her supervisors and mentors that led to her winning the Young Health Physicist of the Year award.
“It means so much that my supervisors appreciated my hard work enough to submit a package on my behalf,” Baugh said. “I feel so lucky to have had so many amazing opportunities and was trusted to complete these important tasks. I enjoy being able to help people and change things for the better. I hope what I’ve done so far and will continue to do in the future will help make the world a better place.”