Hudson Delaware Regional Chapter of SETAC News

New Board Members Elected – 2025

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:38:03 GMT

We are excited to introduce and welcome our new board of directors, including five board members and a student representative of SETAC-HDC. We are looking forward to working with you!

Board Members

Abdullah Al-Amin
Juliana Atmadja - WSP
Jeremy Conkle – Delaware River Basin Commission
Linda Logan – Terraphase Engineering

Chitra Prabhu - HDR

Student Representative

Md Saiful Islam - Temple University

President

Joy McGrath – GHD

Vice President

Hasti Ziaei - Geosyntec

Past President

Abigail Debofsky – USEPA Region 2

Please visit the following page for their bios.

2025 HDC-SETAC Nominations for Board of Directors

Thu, 22 May 2025 15:00:27 GMT

It's Time for HDC SETAC Elections

Nominations for the Board of Directors are being accepted!

We have Five Regular Board Member positions and One Student Board Member position whose terms are to expire in 2025. This is a three-year term that will begin immediately after the election in June.

All SETAC members in the HDC SETAC region are eligible to self-nominate or nominate a member for the Board. To nominate someone (or yourself), please fill out the form at the link below. You will need to include a short biographical sketch (250 words or less), qualifications, and reason for the nomination. If you are nominating someone else, please contact that person to obtain their consent before completing the form.

Nominations will close June 5^th. The election will be held online and will close June 26^th.

Nomination form: 2025 HDC-SETAC Nominations for Board of Directors

All HDC SETAC Chapter members are eligible to vote. You will receive a separate email with instructions on how to vote once the voting period opens.

Your nominations and votes are important to the future of our Regional SETAC Chapter!

Activities of HDC SETAC are led by a Board of Directors that consists of a President, Vice President, Past President, Treasurer, Secretary, Communications Director and up to seven additional members, including one student. Board members are nominated and elected by the HDC membership, and the student representative is selected by the Board. The Board meets monthly via conference call and in-person two or three times a year. Board members are expected to attend all meetings and contribute to the Chapter’s website, participate in organizing and running the Chapter’s Annual Meeting, and assist in promoting Chapter events.

Director Board

HDC SETAC

HDC SETAC Spring Meeting 2025

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:12:31 GMT

HDC SETAC Spring Meeting 2025 was successfully held on 1st April, 2025 at NJHA Conference and Events Center. We had great talks and poster presentations. Students received awards for the best platform and poster presentations.

Many thanks for all the presenters and attendees who helped to make the meeting a success.

See you all in the next meeting!

Environmental Scientist Opening at Normandeau Associates, Inc., Stowe, PA

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:31 GMT

Normandeau Associates, Inc., is seeking an Environmental Scientist for the Ecological Resources group in Stowe, PA. Please click on this link to see details and apply.

Annual Meeting of SETAC North America, 2024

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:02:39 GMT

Members of SETAC HDC attended National SETAC meeting in Fort worth, Texas from Oct 20-24, 2024. It was great to see the Cattle Walk in Stock Yards.

HDC SETAC Fall Social Event on Oct 5, 2024

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:41:07 GMT

Fall social event took place on Oct 5, 2024 at Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Englewood, New Jersey. We had our monthly board meeting at the center and went on a guided hike afterwards in Flat Rock Brook nature preserve. During the hike, we discussed the history, local flora and fauna of the preserve.

SETAC HDC Spring Meeting 2024 - Student presentation Awards

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 17:10:36 GMT

We are excited to share the names of the award recipients of our Student Awards Program at SETAC_HDC Spring Meeting 2024!

We granted three awards for excellent platform presentations and five awards for poster presentations which included 3-minute rapid-fire talks on their research.

The top winner will also receive a registration waiver for the SETAC North America Meeting 2024.

Platform presentation Winners

1^st Place: Abdullah Al-Amin, Temple University

Presentation Title: Efficacy of spent coffee ground derived biochar on stormwater derived Pb removal

2^nd Place: Ashkan Alborzi, PhD; Texas Tech University [current: CDM Smith]

Presentation Title: Development of single model capable to extent the equilibrium for different families of contaminant in polymeric passive sampling

3^rd Place: Khalid Mustafa, Stevens Institute of Technology

Presentation Title: Understanding PFAS transformations during wastewater treatment: preliminary results

Poster presentation Winners

1^st Place: Renee Heller, New York University

Presentation Title: A comparison of the effect of thermal stress and chemical exposure on Atlantic tomcod Microgadus tomcod populations from the Hudson River and Maine

2^nd Place: Adedamola Samuel Adenekan, New York University

Presentation Title: Temperature stress during development on Hudson River Atlantic tomcod

3^rd Place: Kristin Terez, New York University

Presentation Title: Development of toxicity to PAHs in Hudson River ahr2Variant Atlantic tomcod compared to a reference population

4^th Place: Angelina Lewis, Rowan University

Presentation Title: Stormwater heavy metal distribution in Camden, New Jersey

5^th Place: Arash Aliasghar, Stevens Institute of Technology

Presentation Title: Phytotechnology in wastewater treatment: Impact of Vetiver grass (Chrysipogon zizanioides) coverage rates on nitrate removal in hydroponic setting

Congratulations to the award winners for your outstanding research work and presentations!

Thank you,

SETAC HDC Director Board

New board members elected - 2024

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:45:36 GMT

We are excited to introduce and welcome our new board of directors, including two board members and a student representative of SETAC-HDC. We are looking forward to work with you!

Board Member: Hasti Ziaei-Jam, Ph. D., Geosyntec Consultants

Dr. Hasti Ziaei is a Senior Staff Professional at Geosyntec’s Pennington, New Jersey office. She brings over 7 years of experience in environmental engineering and 3 years of specialized practice in sediment assessment. Her expertise includes evaluating the bioavailability, fate, and transport of heavy metals in sediment using passive samplers.

Hasti earned her PhD in Civil-Environmental Engineering from Texas Tech University in the summer of 2023, under the mentorship of Danny Reible. Before her doctoral studies, she worked as a researcher at the Water Research Institute in Iran for two and a half years. She also gained valuable experience over two years in consulting companies, where she worked on diverse projects and honed her technical and software skills.

Dr. Ziaei is an active member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). She has presented at three conferences in SETAC-North America and one regional HDC event. Her passion lies in enhancing environmental quality and ecosystem integrity in the Hudson River and Delaware River areas, fostering awareness and knowledge exchange.

Board Member: Anthony Sigman-Lowery, University of Delaware

Anthony Sigman-Lowery is a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware, and he is interested in continuing his work on the HDC SETAC board after serving two years as the student representative. He will be defending his PhD later this summer and he has studied the fate and properties of novel brominated flame retardants in aquatic environments. As a post-doc, he will remain at the University of Delaware modeling the bioavailability and toxicity of PFAS compounds. His present and future research align with the mission of HDC SETAC, as understanding the physicochemical properties, distribution and toxicity of emerging contaminants is critical to modeling their environmental fate and informing potential regulation.

As student representative, Anthony has helped organize the chapter meetings and fall social events, as well as fostered student engagement from universities across our region. He hope to continue this work on the board and focus on improving our chapter meetings as well as growing student membership and engagement throughout the year.

Student Representative: Abdullah Al-Amin, Temple University

Abdullah Al-Amin is a Research Assistant at the McKenzie Environmental Engineering Research Group (MEERG) in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Temple University. His dissertation investigates the fate and transport of inorganic ions in stormwater management practices. Holding BS and MS degrees in Environmental Sciences, his primary research focus is on the fate and transport of pollutants in large watershed and subsurface systems. His expertise includes laboratory experiments, field investigations, sensor data analysis, and statistical computations. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and technical reports and has presented his work at both SETAC North America and HDC SETAC conferences. Since his undergraduate days, Abdullah has been involved in various leadership roles, prominently organizing social and humanitarian activities. His leadership skills were further recognized through his founding membership in the Temple University College of Engineering Graduate Student Association and his active participation as a young leader in the Water Research Association of Delaware River Basin. As a student representative on the HDC SETAC board, Abdullah aims to use his research skills and commitment to environmental stewardship to enhance student participation and teamwork, thereby strengthening their collective impact on environmental policies and practices.

Thank you

Director Board

SETAC HDC

Sharpen Your Skills in Wildlife Food Chain Modeling!

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 15:39:42 GMT

SETAC North America just releases its preliminary program for the 45th Annual Meeting!

We are excited to share that Brian Yates from our HDC-SETAC chapter will offer a short course titled "Wildlife Food Chain Modeling: Theory and Application" on Sunday morning, October 20th, 2024.

Course Description:

“The purpose of the course is to introduce students, practitioners, and other environmental experts to wildlife food chain modeling – an important skill in the ecological risk assessors’ toolbox. The class will review the predominant theory behind food chain modeling, its underlying assumptions, sources of data, methods of calculation, and sources of uncertainty. This will include modeling of exposure, which includes derivation of food, water, and sediment/soil ingestion rates, and exposure modifying factors. Additionally, the student will be introduced to toxicity reference values (TRVs) using USEPA Ecological Soil Screening Level (Eco-SSL) guidance. The course will end with exercises requiring the student to estimate hazard quotients for a wildlife species, back-calculate a protective concentration level (a.k.a., screening level), and develop protective criteria for surface water for a bioaccumulative contaminant.”

Don’t miss out! Register by August 21st to secure the early bird discount.

Find more details and registration information here: https://www.setac.org/discover-events/global-meetings/setac-north-america-45th-annual-meeting/program/professional-training-courses.html

Brian Yates Website: https://www.yates-env.com/

Nominations for HDC SETAC Board of Directors Open

Mon, 27 May 2024 15:50:35 GMT

It's Time for HDC SETAC Elections

Nominations for the Board of Directors are being accepted!

We have two Board Member positions whose terms are to expire in 2024. This is a three-year term that will begin immediately after the election in June.

Nominations will close June 5^th. The election will be held online and will close June 26^th.

Nomination form: 2024 HDC-SETAC Nominations for Board of Directors

All HDC SETAC Chapter members are eligible to vote. You will receive a separate email with instructions on how to vote once the voting period opens.

Your nominations and votes are important to the future of our Regional SETAC Chapter!

HDC SETAC: https://hdcsetac.org/

2024 HDC-SETAC Spring Meeting Summary

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:06:01 GMT

Please click 2024 HDC-SETAC Spring Meeting to review the summary.

2024 HDC SETAC SPRING MEETING

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 21:18:51 GMT

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS EXTENDED TO MARCH 8, 2024

2024 HDC SETAC SPRING MEETING

NJHA Conference & Events Center in Princeton, New Jersey, April 9

We’re excited to announce the call for abstract submission for the 2024 Hudson-Delaware (HDC) SETAC Regional Chapter Meeting, which will take place in person on April 9^th, 2024 at the NJHA Conference & Events Center, Princeton, NJ. The deadline to submit your abstract is EXTENDED to Fri, March 8, 2024.

Topics for the 2024 Meeting:

Chemicals of emerging concern (e.g., PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products)
Environmental Toxicology and Stress Response
Environmental Risk Assessment
Engineering, Remediation and Restoration
Field and case studies, and sustainable practices for reducing exposure risk of environmental contaminants
Advance in analysis and monitoring of chemical contaminants
Policy, Management and Communication

Formats for Abstract Submission:

Your abstract can be presented as a platform presentation, a short course, or a poster. Please limit your abstract to 250 words. Each platform presentation will be 15 minutes + 5 minutes of Q&A. Short courses should be approximately 1 hour.

Submission and Registration Details:

Follow this link to submit your abstract. Note that presenters are required to register for the meeting. Registration is now open, click here to register.

The registration fee is $75, which covers a continental breakfast and lunch. Early registration will close on March 29^th, and late registration will be $85. Registration will be FREE for students!! Student presenters are eligible to compete for best poster or platform award at the meeting.

2024 HDC SETAC SPRING MEETING

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:51:32 GMT

SAVE THE DATE AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS!!!

2024 HDC SETAC SPRING MEETING
NJHA Conference & Events Center in Princeton, New Jersey, April 9

We’re excited to announce the call for abstract submission for the 2024 Hudson-Delaware (HDC) SETAC Regional Chapter Meeting, which will take place in person on April 9th, 2024 at the NJHA Conference & Events Center, Princeton, NJ.
The deadline to submit your abstract is extended to Fri, March 8, 2024.

Link to submit an abstract:
https://form.jotform.com/240226313590145

For more information, See the document below......

SAVE THE DATE AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS.pdf

Annual meeting of SETAC North America

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:38:22 GMT

Members of SETAC HDC attended National SETAC meeting in Louisville from Nov 12-16 November. Thank you all who joined the SETAC HDC group lunch!

HDC SETAC Fall 2023 Social Event on Nov 4, 2023

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 14:20:59 GMT

Fall 2023 social event took place on Nov. 4, 2023. We went on a guided hike at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC https://www.peec.org/) and discussed the natural history and local flora and fauna of the beautiful Poconos.

2023 Joint Spring Meeting Write-Up

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:15:35 GMT

2023 Joint Spring Meeting

HDC SETAC Board of Directors 2023 Election Results

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 02:50:02 GMT

HDC SETAC Board of Directors 2023 Election Results

Board Members

Thivanka Ariyarathna, Ph.D., Rowan University

Dr. Ariyarathna is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Rowan University and holds a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut. She completed her undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka where she was born. She is excited and committed to serving as a board member in the HDC SETAC based on her continuous involvement with SETAC for the past 11 years. She has published three peer-reviewed articles in SETAC journal, and her research focuses on origin, distribution, fate, and transport of environmental pollutants in different aquatic environments from small freshwater tributaries to coastal marine ecosystems. She evaluates natural and bio-stimulated removal of pollutants from aquatic systems via adsorption onto sediment and microbial degradation. Moreover, Dr. Ariyarathna’s research interests align with bioaccumulation of pollutants in ecosystem food web structure, and she utilizes stable isotopes as a tool for her research. She admires teamwork and her Ph.D. project was awarded with “Project of the Year Award for Environmental Restoration” from SERDP (Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program) in 2016. After she started her position at Rowan university in Fall, 2022, Dr. Ariyarathna received two grants from South Jersey Institute of Population Health and NJ water Research Resources institute to conduct research on heavy metals in Camden, NJ and PFAS in Atlantic Reservoir in South Jersey, respectively. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and time with friends and family.

Sean Bugel, Ph.D., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I am an environmental toxicologist with 15+ years of experience in the fields of environmental science and toxicology. My professional interests generally center on the adverse developmental and reproductive effects of environmental contaminants and their mechanisms of toxicity. I have extensive experience working with contaminant issues in New Jersey, particularly the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Presently, I am a Toxicologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the NJ Field Office Environmental Response and Restoration group. I am the USFWS Case Manager for the Natural Resource Damage Assessments in New Jersey, and I oversee injury assessment and restoration on several cases such as the Diamond Alkali and Berry’s Creek Superfund Sites. I received my B.S. in Biology from Seton Hall University in 2005, and my M.S./Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from Rutgers University in 2011. I previously worked at Oregon State University in the Department of Molecular and Environmental Toxicology as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Sr. Research Assistant Professor (2011-2020). I also currently teach an Environmental Toxicology course at Rutgers University for the Department of Environmental Sciences. In the past, I had the honor of serving as the student representative on the Board of Directors for HDC-SETAC between 2006 and 2009. Given my excitement to return to the region, I am eager to reconnect with HDC-SETAC and contribute as a member of the Board of Directors. My main goal is to drive the growth of HDC-SETAC while fostering increased student engagement throughout the region.

ExxonMobil Ecologists Position at Clinton, NJ Office

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 13:58:55 GMT

ExxonMobil is looking for an applied ecologist to join our team of environmental scientists at ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc. (EMBSI). As a member of the EMBSI team, you will work alongside scientists and engineers around the globe to understand, research, and develop health, environmental and product safety solutions for ExxonMobil and the communities we serve. This position can be located in Clinton, New Jersey or Houston, Texas.

Description and job requirements can be found in

Environmental Scientist (exxonmobil.com)

HDC SETAC 2022 Election Results

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 12:46:47 GMT

HDC SETAC Board of Directors 2022 Election Results

Board Members

Gina Ferreira USEPA Region 2

Gina Ferreira works in USEPA Region 2’s Land, Chemicals, and Redevelopment Division (LCRD) serving as the sole human health and ecological risk assessor for all the division’s programs mainly the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and TSCA PCBs. She provides risk assessment technical assistance to RCRA sites in New Jersey and New York as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Some high-profile sites that she is working on in the HDC-SETAC area include Chemours (former DuPont) Pompton Lakes Works, Chemours (former DuPont) Chambers Works/Deepwater, Exxon Bayway Refinery, Chevron Perth Amboy, and Picatinny Arsenal. Gina is also working on risk assessment issues related to compliance averaging and TPH fractionation and several Office of Research and Development (ORD) projects related to incorporating ecosystem services into the hazardous waste site remedial process. For HDC-SETAC, Gina began as a Board Member in 2007, acted as Vice President in 2009 and subsequently served as President and Past President, and started as the Secretary in 2012. An example of an overlap of her EPA work and SETAC occurred in 2016 when a paper that she co-authored titled Ecosystem Services as Assessment Endpoints for Ecological Risk Assessment as part of a HQ Risk Assessment Forum’s ORD Technical Panel was published in the SETAC journal “Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.” The article provides risk assessors and remedial managers a method to present further justification for taking actions to protect environmental resources based on benefits to humans.

Ying Wang, Ph.D., WSP USA Solutions Inc.

I am a lead geochemist and technical principal at WSP USA, where I serve as a technical task leader for several large Superfund contaminated sediment sites (e.g., Upper Hudson River, Lower Hudson River, Lower Passaic River, Newark Bay, and Newtown Creek). I hold a Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry. My professional experience covers a broad range of environmental investigation and remediation work, from ambient air quality monitoring and health effect assessment to groundwater transport modeling, sediment investigation and remediation. As a geochemist at WSP, my work has been focusing on applying various statistical methods to support remedial investigation, feasibility study, sampling design, remedial design, and environmental pollution forensics at contaminated sediment sites. I have authored or co-authored 27 peer-reviewed publications with over 6,000 citations. I am an active member of the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) PFAS team where I helped updating the AFFF section of ITRC PFAS guidance document.

I have been involved in HDC SETAC since 2016. I have given one platform presentation in 2019 Spring meeting and one short course in 2022 Spring meeting. I will also give a presentation at the 2022 SETAC North America conference. I am particularly interested in sharing my experience in environmental chemistry and statistics. I like what HDC SETAC has offered to the scientific community, particularly the professional networking opportunities. I would like to serve as a Board member to support HDC SETAC’s mission in promoting research and supporting students. I would also be happy to assist with meetings and networking events as well as help increase the visibility of HDC SETAC within the region.

Student Representative

Anthony Sigman-Lowery, University of Delaware
I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Delaware, and I am interested in joining the HDC SETAC board as a student representative because my research interests align with your mission, and I believe that my community-building talents will be an asset to the board.
I am studying the fate and behavior of novel brominated flame retardants in aquatic environments. My research will be the first to experimentally investigate their dissolved organic matter and octanol-water partitioning properties as well as their historic deposition in Arctic sediments and presence in freshwater plankton. This research aligns with the mission of HDC SETAC, as understanding the physicochemical properties, distribution, and bioavailability of emerging contaminants is critical to evaluating their environmental toxicity and informing potential regulation. Additionally, I am one of the founding members of UD’s Queer & Trans Graduate Student Union. As co-chair, I have overseen the growth of our membership to almost 200 members, partnered with student organizations and departments on social and educational events, and advocated for more LGBTQ+ inclusive policies across the graduate college. This leadership role has provided me with significant experience as a community and event organizer, which I believe will be vital to the role of growing student membership and developing and executing student activities. HDC SETAC represents an amazing opportunity for students to meet a diverse range of environmental professionals, discover potential career pathways, and learn how their research can actually impact the world. I would be honored to join the board as a student representative and lend my skills to this mission.

2022 Joint Spring Meeting Write-Up

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 20:39:10 GMT

2022 Joint Spring Meeting Writeup.pdf

Saint Joseph's University Adjunct Faculty Member Position

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:48:41 GMT

Saint Joseph's University currently have a fall semester opening for an adjunct faculty member to teach a course entitled GL 275 Intro. to Environmental Geology. This course will be taught on the campus of the former University of the Sciences, now known as University City campus of Saint Joseph's University.

Interested individuals should contact Kevin Wolbach using the information below.

Kevin C. Wolbach (He/Him)
Assistant Chair
Senior Lecturer of Biology
Department of Biology
Saint Joseph’s University
University City Campus
600 S 43rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
O: 215-895-3129 | kwolbach@sju.edu
SJU.edu

Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF) Judging on April 6, 2022

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:41:48 GMT

Would you be interested in judging student posters on April 6th 2022?

The Hudson-Delaware Chapter of SETAC has sponsored awards for several years at the Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF). HDC welcomes any members to help out with judging for our special awards.

It’s not too late to register!

In the past, HDC SETAC has supported the Delaware Valley Science Fairs by providing judges and awards.

Judging takes place on Wednesday, April 6th, 2022, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA and is a full-day commitment. Instruction and support are provided, as well as continental breakfast and lunch. Moreover, it provides professionals an opportunity to see how STEM education is progressing in our schools, and to contribute to that process.

If you are available or know someone who might be interested, please register through STEM Wizard.

Currently the following judges have registered:

Don Nazario, Normandeau Associates, Inc.

USEPA Region 2 Job Opportunities for Recent College Graduates!

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 20:45:25 GMT

The U.S. EPA-Region 2 is recruiting for two, GS-7/9, Life Scientist/Physical Scientist/Environmental Engineer (Project Officer), in New York, NY, via the Pathways Recent Graduates Program. Please use this link to apply by the Feb 14^th closing date: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/635634300.

HDC SETAC is Committed to Support the Delaware Valley Science Fair

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 22:26:28 GMT

Hudson-Delaware Chapter (HDC) SETAC has a history of supporting the Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF) each year by providing cash awards for students. HDC SETAC members have attended the fair and judged posters under the Special Award Category. We look for and award posters that show research that closely aligns with HDC SETAC and our vision.

This year, Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF) will continue to provide a forum for regional high school students to share their work and compete in a science research competition. Even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DVSF was able to conduct virtual science fairs in 2020 and 2021. This year, DVSF is looking forward to returning to an in-person event.

See details below about the 2022 science fair. We welcome any HDC SETAC members who would like to volunteer their time to help judge posters. And we thank our 2021-2022 Corporate Sponsors who help to provide these awards.

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Judging day for the 2022 Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF) will be Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. We hope your schedule will allow you to participate again. Registration is open now through STEM Wizard. There is a link in the judges tab of the www.dvsf.org website or you can access this site directly at https://dvsf.stemwizard.com/public_site/judge_register. Please feel free to share this link with colleagues. Additional information is posted on our website if they would like to learn more about this exciting and worthwhile program.

Over the past two years, we have had over 1700 students participate in our science fair and we expect that number to increase. We are always looking for mentors to work with the students. If you are interested in being a mentor, please register for our Mentorship Program. More information is available here: https://www.dvsf.org/mentorship-program

Delaware Valley Science Fairs continues to support students and their interest in STEM. If you would like to learn more, please find us on Facebook (Delaware Valley Science Fairs – DVSF), follow us on Twitter (@DVSFairs), and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

WSP has joined as a Corporate Sponsor

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:05:31 GMT

Hudson-Delaware Chapter (HDC) was very happy to see WSP join our corporate sponsors.

Welcome Erica McKenzie, PhD as a Board Member at HDC

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:17:46 GMT

Please Welcome Erica McKenzie as she officially returns to the HDC SETAC Board of Directors

Thank you to all who voted in the 2021 election

HDC SETAC maintains a board of directors that manage the Hudson-Delaware chapter. The board is comprised of 10-13 voting members including a student member when available. Board members when elected serve a 3-year term and have the option for a longer term if they volunteer for an executive position such as vice-president, secretary, treasurer, or communications director.

Board members take an active part in all aspects of HDC SETAC and provide direct input into the activities and direction of the local organization. Each year positions open up on the board so please talk with an active board member about the possibility of joining us soon to help shape and maintain the success of the Hudson-Delaware Chapter of SETAC.

EPA Public meetings on Agency PFAS Roadmap

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 21:14:22 GMT

Webinar: PFAS Strategic Roadmap - EPA's Commitments to Action: 2021-2024

EPA released its PFAS Strategic Roadmap on October 18, 2021. The roadmap lays out EPA's whole-of-agency approach to tackling PFAS and set timelines by which the Agency plans to take concrete actions during the first term of the Biden-Harris Administration. The Roadmap fills a critical gap in federal leadership, provides a basic floor of federal protection, and supports states' ongoing efforts to address PFAS.

Join members of EPA's PFAS Council – senior policy and technical leaders from across the Agency – to learn more about the actions EPA plans to take in the coming months and years to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.

This is the first of two public webinars that provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders to hear directly from EPA experts and ask questions about the Agency's research, upcoming actions, and timelines to achieve them.

Read the Roadmap and learn more about recent and upcoming EPA work on PFAS.

The second webinar on November 2, 2021 will provide an additional opportunity for members of the public to learn more about EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Register for the November 2, 2021 event here.

EPA Highlights Actions During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 17:53:26 GMT

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joins its federal agency partners in highlighting National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25-29, 2021. EPA, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage preventive actions to decrease childhood lead exposure during the week and beyond.

EPA Actions:

EPA will be carrying out the following activities during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to help a wide variety of audiences learn more about preventing lead exposure.

Lead Awareness Curriculum Train-the-Trainer Session - Join EPA Wednesday, October 27 at 2:00 pm ET for a live discussion on how to use and modify the “Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy!” materials for any community. Register here.
Understanding Lead Webinar – Join EPA Thursday, October 28 at 3:00 pm ET for a live presentation, featuring simultaneous Spanish interpretation, of “Module 1: Understanding Lead” from the Lead Awareness Curriculum to receive an overview of lead, its impacts and actions that can be taken to reduce potential lead exposures and lead poisoning. Register here.
Renovation, Restoration and Painting (RRP) Trainings – EPA is also offering trainings for renovators at no cost. Learn more and register for an upcoming in-person RRP training near you.

Background:

Established in 1999 by the US Senate, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week occurs every year during the last week in October. During this week, many states and communities offer free blood-lead testing and conduct various education and awareness events.

For more information on what EPA, HUD, and CDC are doing during NLPPW:

EPA - https://www.epa.gov/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week

HUD - https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/nlppw

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week.htm

For more information on EPA and Lead: https://www.epa.gov/lead

2021 Election for the Board of Directors

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 21:27:54 GMT

In August we asked HDC members to nominate themselves or someone else to serve on the Board of Directors for a 3-year term. We want to announce that we received back only one nomination and therefore we want to proceed with an election to complete the process.

Our one nominee was Erica McKenzie from Temple University. Here is a link to her BIO and nomination. Please VOTE in our 2021 election so we may officially accept Erica back onto the board for a second term!

If you are a HDC SETAC Member you should receive an email with a link that will allow you to Vote!

THANKS!

Nominations for the Board of Directors

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:02:23 GMT

It's that time again when we ask for volunteers to sit on our Board of Directors to help manage and direct the Hudson-Delaware Chapter of SETAC. Board members serve a three year term and have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of the Hudson-Delaware Chapter. Nominations are currently being accepted with an election voted on by the HDC SETAC membership to be held soon afterwards.

Submit your Nomination via 2021 Nominations for the Board of Directors

Delaware Valley Science Fair Students Win Awards

Wed, 05 May 2021 23:27:13 GMT

HDC SETAC is pleased to announce the award winners from the Delaware Valley Science Fair on April 9, 2021. Ronald MacGillivray, Ph.D., of Delaware River Basin Commission and Donald Nazario of Normandeau Associates served as judges for this years science fair representing HDC SETAC.

1^st Place $150 - Saranya Anantapantula - Effects and Sources of Dioxins and Furans in Benthic Organisms in the Newtown Creek Superfund Site

2^nd Place $75 - Lakshmi Yannam - Comparison of the Phycoremediation Capabilities of Chlorella autotrophica and Spirulina for Heavy Metals and Biosorption of Nitrogen and Phosphorus at Varying Haline Levels

3^rd Place $25 - Sarah Santos - The Effect of Climatic Factors on the Intensity of the Lytic Toxins Released by Gymnodinium sp.

For many years representatives from HDC SETAC have been attending the Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF) to view and judge High School science projects. The science fair draws students from Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Nearly $6 million in scholarship and prize money is awarded each year to student winners for outstanding science projects. HDC awards students under the Special Awards section and looks for projects that cover toxicity testing, environmental science, chemistry related projects and ecological awareness in the Hudson Delaware region.

For 2021 HDC SETAC judges were able to select three outstanding posters. Of course this year due to COVID-19 restrictions all posters were virtual and judges were introduced to each presenter via a video that each student prepared to present their research and explain their project. As is the case when viewing posters in person each student presents their distinct personality along with the tables, graphs and pictures of a well thought out science project. Our goal is to honor high school projects that show an awareness of the importance of environmental science in the midst of urbanization, climate change, focus on renewable energy, and advancing technology.

Founded in 1949, The Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc., is a non-profit organization sponsored by area companies, foundations, universities, and individual donors. One of the oldest and largest Fairs in the country, DVSF embraces a philosophy in that students learn science by doing science. In the process, students learn how to think and develop critical problem-solving skills that they will need for careers, college, and citizenship.

(Pictured from DVSF 2018 - left to right, Don Nazario and Ron MacGillivray enjoy a day of judging posters)

Spring Virtual Meeting Survey

Tue, 04 May 2021 19:14:40 GMT

If you attended any of the Four-Part Series of Virtual Meetings we would like to ask you to complete a meeting survey. Your feedback is very important in helping us decide what topics are best and in what format should we present our information.

Please complete the survey here.

If you have any suggestions or comments don't hesitate to contact anyone on the HDC Board of Directors.

Job Opportunity - Toxicologist / Risk Assessor

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:09:47 GMT

Check out this job opportunity at GHD in Exton, PA.

You may have seen this job opportunity but I thought HDC SETAC should promote any openings that definitely fit with our experienced SETAC membership.

https://ghdltd.referrals.selectminds.com/index/jobs/senior-toxicologist-environmental-risk-assessor-5613

Please pass along if you know someone who might be looking or would be a perfect fit.

2021 Spring Newsletter is Posted

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 21:21:24 GMT

Check out the newest Spring 2021 HDC-SETAC Newsletter! Bryan Hedgpeth and the newsletter committee has worked hard to create another newsletter for HDC SETAC. Please click on the link below and download a PDF version of the 2021 Spring newsletter.

We are always looking for content for our newsletter so if you would like to contribute an article about research, projects, job postings, etc., please speak with Bryan about presenting an article. And don't forget Corporate Sponsors have the ability to place ads and articles also!

2021 Newsletter FINAL.pdf

HDC SETAC is looking for 2021 Corporate Sponsors

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 00:08:17 GMT

2021 Corporate Sponsorships are available!

It is time to renew your Corporate Sponsorships

Our sponsorships run from January to December each year and offer various levels of participation and benefits. Please know that your support directly affects our ability to plan and present the meetings, events and interaction between members of HDC SETAC. Please consider supporting the Hudson-Delaware Chapter to maintain our excellence throughout the years.