Meet the Board!

Kenia Whitehead

GSI Environmental

Kenia Whitehead GSI Environmental  As an undergraduate Kenia studied biochemistry/cellular biology at UCSD and then obtained a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Washington where she studied cellular responses to environmental changes.  She then received a post-doctoral fellowship from NSF and continued her research at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. She now works as a Senior Aquatic Scientist at GSI Environmental.  Her current work focuses on quantitative analysis of complex environmental data sets, with specific expertise in aquatic biogeochemistry and environmental analytics. Much of her work is on contaminated sediment sites where she focuses on methods that provide integrated assessments and an understanding of underlying processes to support remedial investigations and  impact assessments, as well as forensic analyses for environmental litigation and allocation cases.  Kenia is also very active in efforts to improve data visualization approaches including the development of customized, interactive apps to facilitate the exploration and communication of environmental data across diverse stakeholder groups. 

Denis da Silva

NOAA Marine Fisheries Service

Denis da Silva is a Research Chemist at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC). He earned his B.S. in Chemistry in 2000 and a doctoral degree in chemical oceanography from the University of São Paulo, Brazil in 2005. Denis has worked in several types of environmental monitoring projects in a number of regions, including Antarctica and urbanized coastal areas in Brazil and USA, focusing on petroleum and anthropogenic contamination in the marine environment. After finishing his post-doc at the NWFSC, he joined the Environmental Chemistry Program in 2011. His primary interests include method development for analysis of new contaminants and hormones in marine biota using liquid chromatography couple with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Since 2007, Puget Sound has been his central area of study. In his free time, Denis enjoys trail or road running, soccer with his daughter, as well as continues to stay connected with the PNW waters while practicing kiteboarding. 

Stacey Harper 

Oregon State University

Stacey Harper is an Associate Professor of Nanotoxicology in a joint position between the Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology and the School of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU).  In her current research, she uses rapid assays with whole organisms and communities of organisms to evaluate the biological activity and toxic potential of diverse nanomaterials, including nanoplastics.  Last March, Dr. Harper was highlighted as one of the Women in Nanotechnology by the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office for Women’s History Month.  She will present “Integrative nanotoxicology: linking rapid assays and informatics to understand nanomaterial-biological interaction.s”

Bob Johnston

Applied Ecological Solutions

Dr. Bob Johnston is a retired civil servant who worked as a senior scientist at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, where he coordinated environmental studies for the Navy.  Dr. Johnston has been involved with SETAC since 1989 and serving on the PNW-SETAC board is an opportunity to pay back to the Society.  During his career, he served as project officer and principal investigator to develop methods for conducting ecological risk assessments at Navy sites, investigated the ecological risk of PCBs released from sunken ships in the deep ocean, evaluated the ecological risk of constructing artificial reefs with ex-warships, and he was a co-investigator in a partnership to model the marine environmental of the Puget Sound, WA.  He also served as Technical Coordinator of a collaborative partnership formed through an ENVivronment inVEStment (ENVVEST) partnership among the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. EPA, and local stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive water quality improvement project for the watersheds of Sinclair and Dyes Inlets in the Puget Sound.  In 2007, he was appointed as a charter member to the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel, created to provide independent, nonrepresentational scientific advice to the Puget Sound Partnership on ecological and human health issues for the Puget Sound, where he served for two terms from 2007- 2013.  Currently, Dr. Johnston is the owner of Applied Ecological Solutions, a small business dedicated to solving environmental problems for discerning clients.

Heidi Siegelbaum

Washington Stormwater Center at Washington State University

Heidi has worked in natural resources for 30 years as a bridge between scientists and engineers and other important audiences. She practiced law for 10 years in criminal, managed health care and industrial chemicals and biotechnology products, including in-house counsel in EPA’s New Chemicals Program.  A seasoned science communicator, she also managed a sustainable tourism consulting firm for over 10 years. Previously, she was the Senior Analyst for Performance Management at the Washington State Department of Ecology. In that role she was the U.S. Co-Chair of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Indicators project which she led for 4 years.  She received her Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School, a certificate in Industrial Ecology from Portland State University and is a WSU Watershed Steward. She serves on the steering committee for Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program and can’t seem to say no to non-profit Boards. Heidi loves the outdoors, the kitchen, humor and Latin music.  

Mandy McDougall

Dillon Consulting

Mandy McDougall is an Associate and Environmental Scientist at Dillon Consulting in Richmond, BC. Much of her work focuses on contaminated sites management, including site investigations and risk assessment. Mandy has a keen interest in understanding the environmental impacts of emerging contaminants (such as PFAS and microplastics). Mandy obtained her Masters in Resource Management from Simon Fraser University (SFU) where she worked with the Environmental Toxicology Research Group and graduated from McMaster University with a B.Sc. in Biology and Environmental Science. In her spare time, Mandy enjoys taking dance classes, exploring the BC backcountry, and coming up with helpful tips for home organization (she is also a Trained Professional Organizer). 

Will Hobbs

Washington State Department of Ecology

Will is a senior environmental scientist in the Toxics Studies Unit with the Washington State Department of Ecology. He works primarily on targeted source identification studies for toxic contaminants in

freshwater and the presence and impacts of toxins produced by cyanobacteria in lakes. Will participates in toxics reduction workgroups for Puget Sound Estuary recovery and Washington’s Orca Task Force. He received his B.Sc. in Physical Geography from the University of British Columbia, M.Sc. in Limnology and Environmental Science at the University of Dublin, Ireland, and his PhD in Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences at the University of Alberta. Prior to joining Ecology, Will was a research scientist in freshwater and paleo-ecology at the University of Nebraska, University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of

Minnesota. His current scientific interests include: the transport and bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals in rivers and lakes, cyanotoxins in Washington lakes and ecological changes in lakes over decadal

timescales.

Jenifer McIntyre

Washington State University

Dr. Jenifer McIntyre is an assistant professor of aquatic toxicology at the Washington State University’s School of the Environment. Located at the Puyallup Research & Extension Center and collaborating with the Washington Stormwater Center, Dr. McIntyre’s current research focuses on the ecotoxicology of urban stormwater runoff and the biological effectiveness of green stormwater infrastructure.

Chloe Fender, Oregon State University

Chloe is a third-year Ph D student working in the Water Quality Toxicology  Lab. The Garcia Jaramillo Lab is in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. Her research is focused on using high-resolution mass spectrometry as a tool to characterize chemical contaminants in natural and  human-made aqueous systems, including irrigation canals, rivers, and drinking water, and evaluate potential toxic effects and prioritize chemicals for further monitoring and regulation based on their risk for ecosystems health and affected human populations. 

April Markiewicz
Western Washington University

April is a Toxicologist II and the Associate Director of the Institute of Environmental Toxicology at Western Washington University (Western).  She is also an adjunct faculty in the Department of Environmental Sciences in Huxley College of the Environment at Western.  She received her B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and M.S. in Aquatic Toxicology/Aquatic Ecology from Western.  April directs, manages, and supervises the day-to-day operations of the Institute.  She also serves as a technical and informational resource for students, staff, faculty and the general public, teaches classes in environmental toxicology, writes grant proposals, and co-authors publications.  Research interests include aquatic and stream ecology with emphasis in ecotoxicological effects on community- and ecosystem-level interactions, as well as chemical partitioning to water and sediments, and its effects on nutrient cycling.