Jeremy Conkle - Delaware River Basin Commission

Dr. Conkle is a Senior Chemist and Toxicologist at the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Longwood University, an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography & Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University. He was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Riverside, and an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. His research focuses on contaminants in aquatic systems, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater treatment wetlands and their uptake in crops. His previous lab work examined plastic and microplastic debris in rivers and coasts. At DRBC, he studies emerging contaminants such as PFAS, microplastics, tire wear particles, and 6-PPDq, while also addressing water quality policy in the Delaware River Basin. From 2017 to 2020, he served as an expert witness in the Wilson v. Formosa Plastics Corporation trial, which led to the largest settlement in a Clean Water Act case involving a private entity. Most importantly, Dr. Conkle is a proud husband and father of two boys.  

Dr. Conkle has been a member of SETAC for about 15 years and has been active at both the national and regional levels. He has participated in meetings, workshops, and was part of the canceled 2020 Fort Worth planning committee. During his over 8 years in Texas, Dr. Conkle was active in the SETAC South-Central chapter, serving as Vice President (2017/18) and President (2018-2019). He also planned to host the regional chapter meeting in Corpus Christi in April 2020 before it was canceled due to the pandemic, and he helped host the rescheduled meeting in 2022. Since moving to this region in December 2022, Dr. Conkle has remained an active member at chapter meetings. As a member of the Hudson-Delaware SETAC Board of Directors, Dr. Conkle is looking forward to helping guide the chapter and mentoring early-career researchers.