Superfund Research Program

Brown’s SRP holds an Event in Appreciation of its Community Partners

Linda C. Covington — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:10:40 +0000

Providence, Rhode Island. The Brown University Superfund Research Program (SRP) held an event on June 3, 2013 in appreciation of its community partners. Program Director Kim Boekelheide opened the celebration with a welcome and an overview. Dinalyn Spears and Darrell Waldron welcomed attendees on behalf of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and the Rhode Island Indian Council, respectively. SRP scientists, faculty, staff and students heard first hand of the many proud accomplishments and daunting challenges facing these community and Tribal partners: Monica Anderson, Community Liaison for Miriam Hospital, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment in Rhode Island Coalition; Amelia Rose, Director of the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island; Holly Ewald, Artist and Founder of the Urban Pond Procession; Alicia Lehrer, Executive Director of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council; Alice Clemente, Secretary for the Blackstone River Watershed Council; Darrell Waldron, Director of the Rhode Island Indian Council; Dinalyn Spears, Director of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources for the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Beth Anderson attended on behalf of NIEHS. Following a luncheon reception and student poster presentations, the newly-formed community advisory board met with members of the SRP internal advisory board.

SRP Graduate Student, Jinxia Fu, wins the Potter Prize

Linda C. Covington — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:09:08 +0000

Jinxia Fu, who worked with Dr. Eric Suuberg on Research Project 7, was awarded the Potter Prize from Brown University’s Chemistry Department. The Potter prize is awarded annually to the most exceptional chemistry PhD dissertation as judged by a faculty committee. The title of Jinxia’s thesis was “Thermodynamics and Phase Behavior of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mixtures.”

Science Communication Workshop

Linda C. Covington — Tue, 28 May 2013 19:16:54 +0000

The Brown SRP research translation, training, and administrative cores cosponsored and planned a science communication workshop on May 6, 2013, for our graduate students and post-docs and a few others with related research interests. Dr. Sunshine Menezes (Executive Director, Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting) led the interactive workshop.

Marcella Thompson elected Treasurer of the Delta-Upsilon Chapter-at-Large, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society

Linda C. Covington — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:13:05 +0000

Congratulations to Marcy Thompson who was elected Treasurer of the Delta-Upsilon Chapter-at-Large, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. The formal announcement was made at the Region 15 Annual Conference on April 27, 2013, at Salve Regina University, Ochre Court in Newport, RI. Delta-Upsilon is a highly successful statewide chapter with more than 2000 inductees and 700 active members. Chapter achievements include twice being awarded the Sigma Theta Tau Key Award for Chapter Excellence and receiving the Sigma Theta Tau International Award for Heritage. Chapter scholarship and research awards totaling $6,000 annually are distributed to deserving members.

Lead-Soil Contamination of Residential Properties Adjacent to Municipal Water Towers in Rhode Island

Linda C. Covington — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:05:22 +0000

Andrea Burdon, RN, took first prize for her poster presentation entitled, “Lead-Soil Contamination of Residential Properties Adjacent to Municipal Water Towers in Rhode Island” at the Eastern Nursing Research Association Annual Conference in Boston. Ms. Burdon is a baccalaureate student at the University of Rhode Island. Currently, she is a staff nurse at Rhode Island Hospital and the ENT Center of Rhode Island. She holds a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from URI. Dr. Marcella Remer Thompson, State Agencies and Community Liaison for Brown University’s Superfund Research Program and an Assistant Professor Adjunct at URI’s College of Nursing, mentored Ms. Burdon. They analyzed data from the RI Department of Environmental Management to evaluate the efficacy of RI Department of Health regulations regarding lead-soil contamination of residential properties. They worked with Dr. Robert Vanderslice who Team Lead for Healthy Homes andEenvironment at the RI Department of Health and SRP Community Engagement Core Co-Leader as well as RIDEM staff. A publication on this study is in the works.

Low Concentration Vapor Exposures in Complex Systems and the Problem of Vapor Intrusion

Linda C. Covington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:12:29 +0000

The Brown University SRP has a strong connection with the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting (Narragansett, RI). Dr. Kelly Pennell (Proj 7) and Dr. Robert Vanderslice (CEC) serve on Metcalf’s Advisory Board. In addition, the Brown SRP, through its RTC, has co-chaired/organized science-training workshops for environmental journalists. Two recent news highlights include:

Metcalf alumna Lisa Song and her colleagues from Inside Climate News win a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Kalamazoo River oil spill and their examination of national pipeline safety. Song attended Metcalf’s Marine Science Seminar for Journalists in 2011. Read the full story.

Journalist Kate Sheppard Remembers Gulf Oil Spill – Millions of gallons of oil had already flowed into the Gulf of Mexico when Mother Jones reporter Kate Sheppard attended Metcalf Institute’s Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists in June 2010. At the time, she was knee deep in reporting on the worst oil spill in U.S. history and one of the biggest stories of her career. Read the full story.

Low Concentration Vapor Exposures in Complex Systems and the Problem of Vapor Intrusion – Independent Review of ATSDR Health Consultation

Linda C. Covington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:01:11 +0000

Professor Kelly Pennell served and is listed as an Independent Reviewer of an ATSDR Health Consultation for the vapor intrusion impacted “Taku Gardens” site in Wainwright, Alaska. The consultation is available HERE.

Exposures to Toxins in the Developing World: Scale, Solutions and Strategies – Richard Fuller (President, Blacksmith Institute) Seminar

Linda C. Covington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:53:52 +0000

“Exposures to Toxins in the Developing World: Scale, Solutions and Strategies” Richard Fuller, President, Blacksmith Institute Brown University SRP Seminar on March 15, 2013 Born in Australia, Mr. Fuller graduated with a degree in engineering from Melbourne University and was employed by IBM. He worked in the rainforests of Brazil with the United Nations Environment Programme creating forest reserves. Moving to New York City, he established Great Forest Inc., now one of the most successful sustainability consulting companies in the U.S. Great Forest was one of the first to bring sustainability practices to the business world, helping to pave the way for the rise of corporate social responsibility. Mr. Fuller founded the not-for-profit Blacksmith Institute in 1999. On a global scale, Mr. Fuller believes that pollution is still one of the most serious problems the earth faces, and that developing countries bear the brunt of it. Up until now, very little support has been given to local institutions to solve these problems in their communities, a crucial gap Blacksmith is filling. Behind Mr. Fuller’s driving determination is the know-how to solve these problems and save lives at risk. Working with scientists, public health experts, environmental engineers, academics and other experts from local and governmental agencies, Mr. Fuller has assembled a comprehensive database of knowledge and information that is being used by Blacksmith’s network of project managers around the world to clean up the worst polluted sites efficiently and effectively.

Brown SRP scientists partner with ATSDR to discuss nano design

Linda C. Covington — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:06:04 +0000

To share their nanomaterial research and foster collaboration with Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) scientists, Brown University Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees Drs. Robert Hurt and James Rice spent Feb 27 at ATSDR in Atlanta. Click HERE to read the full story.

ACS CALL FOR PAPERS

Linda C. Covington — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:40:26 +0000

” Emerging Contaminants Across Mixed Media: Advances in basic and applied research and their extension to risk assessment and remediation”

At 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition
Indianapolis, Indiana
September 8-12, 2013
Abstract Deadline: March 18, 2013

Please click here for more details.