TERA Staff

TERA's professional staff bring diverse backgrounds to the development of risk assessment values and methods. Extensive experience working for EPA and industry provides TERA with the familiarity needed to perform state-of-the-art risk evaluations.

Valerie Ayers, Administrative Assistant
Daniel W. Briggs, Ph.D., DABT, Adjunct Toxicologist
Michael Dourson, Ph.D., DABT, Toxicologist
Bernard K. Gadagbui, M.S., Ph.D., DABT Toxicologist
Lynne T. Haber, Ph.D., DABT, Toxicologist

Melissa Kohrman, B.A., Environmental Research Assistant
Oliver Kroner, B.A., Associate Environmental Scientist
Judy Pollock, Financial Administrator
Andy Maier, Ph.D., M.S., CIH, DABT, Toxicologist
Patricia M. Nance, M.Ed., M.A., Environmental Scientist
Ann Parker, B.S., Associate Environmental Scientist
Jacqueline Patterson, M.En., Environmental Scientist
Meg Poehlmann, B.A., Executive Administrator
Joan E. Strawson, M.S., M.T.S.C., J.D., Toxicologist
Andrea Wullenweber, M.S., Environmental Scientist

Visiting Scientists

Valerie Ayers
Administrative Assistant

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 11
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Ayers

Ms. Ayers joined TERA in early 2006.  She brings a wealth of administrative experience to TERA.

Daniel W. Briggs, Ph.D., DABT
Adjunct Toxicologist

TERA Office Number 513-542-7475 X21

Home Office numbers:  513-771-0590 (Cincinnati) or 231-276-0126 (Michigan

FAX:  (513) 542-7487

EMAIL:  Dr. Briggs

Dr. Briggs joined TERA in August 2001 as a Visiting Scientist and in December 2003 accepted the title Adjunct Toxicologist.  His initial work supports a cooperative project between TERA and the U.S. EPA to develop a peer consultation program for reviewing risk assessment documentation related to VCCEP (the Voluntary Children’s Chemical Exposure Program).  He also will be involved in the preparation of critical summaries of toxicology, epidemiology, and toxicokinetics studies for IRIS toxicological reviews and similar documents, in developing Robust Summaries for SIDS dossiers, and in preparing RfDs, RfCs, and cancer assessments.

Prior to joining TERA, Dr. Briggs worked for over 25 years in several product development divisions of the Procter & Gamble Company as a toxicologist, a manager of human safety, and a principal scientist for regulatory affairs.  While in these assignments, he led toxicology groups in the safety assessments of personal care and home care products, paper products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and fragrances.  He also managed issues in food safety (microbial contaminants), occupational safety (aerosol particulates) and environmental safety (pulp mill effluents).

Dr. Briggs has been extensively involved in many trade associations.  He served as Chairman of the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association’s Pharmacology-Toxicology Committee, and of the Institute for Polyacrylate Absorbents’ Toxicology and Executive Committees.  He also was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Peanut Council.  In his association work, Dr. Briggs led several multi-company committees in the design and execution of large-scale toxicology programs. 

Dr. Briggs has been a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology since 1981, and has authored research reports in several toxicology and pharmacology journals.  Prior to obtaining his doctorate degree, he worked for several years in both hospital and retail pharmacy.  

• B.S., Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1969)

• Ph.D., Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans (1974)

• P.D., Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City (1975)

• Certified, American Board of Toxicology (1981, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002)

Michael L. Dourson, Ph.D., DABT
Director

Phone: (513) 542-RISK (7475), extension 14
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Dr. Dourson

Mike Dourson directs Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA), a nonprofit corporation with a mission to protect public health. TERA develops partnerships among government, industry and other interested groups to address risk assessments of high visibility, such as formaldehyde, perchlorate, chloroform, and soluble nickel, and cooperative ventures such as the Voluntary Children’s Chemical Exposure Program (VCCEP) and the International Toxicity Estimates for Risk (ITER) database available at the National Library of Medicine’s ToxNet.  

Prior to TERA, Mike worked 15 years for EPA, holding several leadership roles and winning 4 bronze medals for joint efforts on specific key projects, such as the creation of EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).  Recently, Mike was awarded the Society of Toxicology’s Arnold J. Lehman award for major contributions that improve the scientific basis of risk assessment. 

Mike has co-published more than 90 papers on risk assessment methods, use of animal and human data in the assessment of risk, or assessments for specific chemicals. He has also co-authored well over 100 government risk assessment documents, made over 100 invited presentations, and chaired numerous sessions at scientific meetings and independent peer reviews.  

• Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Cincinnati (1980)

• Certified, American Board of Toxicology (1985, 1990, 1995, 2000)

Bernard K. Gadagbui, M.S., Ph.D., DABT
Toxicologist

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 27
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Dr. Gadagbui

Dr. Bernard Gadagbui joined TERA in 2004 as a toxicologist after a combined 8-year toxicologist position at the University of Florida and the Bureau of Pesticides of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He has a wealth of research and teaching experience in environmental toxicology, experience in evaluating human health risks posed by chemicals including pesticides and in developing health-related toxicity values for chemicals, and is familiar with state and federal pesticide regulations. Dr. Gadagbui is interested, among others, in the use of mode of action and mechanisms of toxicity of occupational and environmental toxicants and carcinogens in risk assessment.

• B.S. with honors, University of Ghana, Biochemistry with Chemistry (1985)

• M.S., University of Bergen, Norway, Biochemistry (1992)

• Ph.D., University of Bergen, Norway, Environmental Health & Aquatic Toxicology (1996)

Lynne Haber, Ph.D., DABT
Research Program Manager

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 17
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Dr. Haber

Dr. Haber joined TERA in 1998 as a toxicologist and currently leads our Research Program. Several complex risk assessments have been conducted under this program for a number of different sponsors, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Prior to TERA she had over 6 years of experience as a contractor for several EPA offices and for other government agencies. In her prior work and at TERA, she has developed over 10 RfCs, RfDs, and cancer assessments, including several based on epidemiological data, for EPA. This includes work as the primary contractor author of the IRIS Toxicological Support Documents for soluble nickel salts, phenol, vinyl chloride, and cadmium (including the RfD, RfC, and cancer unit risk assessments), and the RfCs for beryllium and ethyl chloride. In a novel approach, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and benchmark dose/concentration (BMD/BMC) modeling were combined for the vinyl chloride assessment.

Dr. Haber has done research into the use of dose-response modeling for risk assessment, including case studies on the application of the benchmark concentration/benchmark dose (BMC/BMD) approach to the data base for individual chemicals, and investigations on the application of categorical regression modeling for both acute inhalation exposure and for oral exposures. She has also conducted research into risk assessment methods and development coursework on the application of EPA guidelines.

Dr. Haber was also the principal author of a number of major toxicological assessments. For EPA's Office of Water, she was the principal author of updates to the Drinking Water Criteria Documents on trihalomethanes, radon, radium, and uranium. She was the principal author of a toxicological profile prepared for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and a supporting author of other profiles.

In a quick-turnaround task in support of EPA's draft Particulate Matter Criteria Document, she managed and conducted QA/QC for the development of 20 summaries of the toxicological effects in humans and animals of inhalation exposure to metals, halides, and their compounds. She has also conducted in-depth reviews of genotoxicity, systemic toxicity, and cancer studies submitted to EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) in support of pesticide re-registration, and to the FDA in support of food additive registration petitions.

• B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (1983)

• Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1990)

• Certified, American Board of Toxicology (2003)

Melissa Kohrman, B.A.
Environmental Research Assistant

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 23
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Kohrman

Ms. Kohrman joined TERA as an Environmental Research Assistant in 2007 after completing a summer internship with TERA.  She provides project support in developing risk documents and assists in the research and development of a number of TERA projects.

• B.A. Zoology, Miami University (2007)

Oliver Kroner, B.A.
Associate Environmental Scientist

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 19
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Mr. Kroner

Mr. Kroner was recently named an Associate Environmental Scientist.  He joined TERA as an Environmental Research Assistant in 2006 after completing two cooperative internships with TERA.  He is assisting with the implementation and project management of the Alliance for Risk Assessment (ARA - www.allianceofrrisk.org), and provides project support developing risk documents and risk training tools.

• B.A. Environmental Studies, Northeastern University (2006)

Andy Maier, Ph.D., CIH, DABT
Associate Director

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 23
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Dr. Maier

Dr. Maier has 11 years of professional work experience in the areas of environmental health, occupational hygiene, and toxicology. He currently serves as the Program Manager for chemical risk assessment for the non-profit organization Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA).  He provides overall direction for the program, leads marketing efforts, and provides oversight for risk and safety assessment projects.  During his tenure he has successfully diversified and grown the program to include additional emphasis in the areas of hazard screening, product safety assessment and occupational toxicology, which complement the comprehensive toxicity and risk assessments that are the traditional focus of the program.  In his capacity as a toxicologist and risk assessor, he has led numerous projects, and has co-authored technical reports, human health risk assessment documents, or toxicity summaries covering more than 100 individual substances.  At TERA he has also served in several capacities in support of scientific peer reviews, including as a panel chairperson, external peer reviewer, and in developing technical meeting notes. 

Dr. Maier completed his Ph.D. in toxicology with research interests in the molecular mechanisms of toxicity.  He has conducted basic research in the areas of metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures, environmentally-relevant genetic polymorphisms, and risk assessment methods. He continues to be actively engaged in developing research to improve risk assessment approaches through the integration of basic biology and risk assessment science.  Recently his research efforts have focused on methods and approaches for using early biological effect markers to reduce uncertainties in risk assessment and methodologies for deriving occupational exposure limits.  Dr. Maier remains active in communicating his findings to the broader scientific community through participation in professional societies, routine publication of his work, service as an editorial reviewer for scientific journals, and through presentation of invited lecturers.  He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. 

In addition to his training as a toxicologist, Dr. Maier is also an industrial hygienist and is certified in comprehensive industrial hygiene practice by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.  He has managed industrial hygiene programs for a diverse array of facilities, and based on this experience is well-versed in the areas of occupational exposure assessment, development and implementation of control strategies, and hazard communication and training.

B.S., Environmental Protection, Ball State University (1988)

• M.S., Industrial Health, University of Michigan (1989)

• Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Cincinnati (2000)

• Certified, American Board of Toxicology (2004)

Patricia M. Nance, M.Ed., M.A.
Environmental Scientist

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 25
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Nance

• B.S., Geology, Marshall University (1995)

• M.Ed., Education - Instructional Design & Technology, University of Cincinnati (2000)

• M.A., English - Professional Writing, University of Cincinnati (2002) 

Ann Parker, B.S.
Associate Environmental Scientist

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 15
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Parker

Ms. Parker has 6 years experience in environmental science and risk assessment.  She joined TERA in 2003 and is currently an Associate Environmental Scientist.  Ms. Parker coordinates the organization of technical materials for the expert panel meetings for TERA’s Peer Consultation and Peer Review program, such as the U.S. EPA’s Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP).  Ms. Parker gathers, validates, and screens human health data for various programs.  Ms. Parker is also the project lead for a material safety data sheets (MSDS) project under the Verifiable Estimates for Risk Assessment (VERA) program.

Prior to joining TERA, Ms. Parker worked for 6 years as a contractor for U.S. EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment.  She originally worked on the Risk Information Hotline supporting the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database by providing online technical support and maintenance of outreach materials.  Later she was primary support for the Superfund Health Risk Technical Support Center (STSC) distributing human health risk values for Superfund sites.  She also provided secondary support for the Technical Support Center (TSC).

• B.S., Natural Sciences, University of Cincinnati (1998)

• A.A.S., Veterinary Technology, University of Cincinnati (1994)

Jacqueline Patterson, M.En.
Peer Review Program Manager

PHONE: (513) 521-7426
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Patterson

Ms. Patterson joined TERA in 1995 as an environmental scientist. She is the Peer Review Program Manager and is responsible for the development and operations of TERA's independent peer review program. Ms. Patterson has organized over two dozen peer review meetings, bringing together international groups of experts to evaluate and judge risk assessment documentation for both public and private sponsors. She developed the ITER database from a small prototype to the current Internet version of nearly 500 chemicals, and continues to participate in the expansion of ITER. Ms. Patterson also develops and reviews risk assessment documentation for TERA sponsors. Recent projects have included evaluation of pesticide studies for ethical treatment of human subjects, co-author of the comparative Dietary Risk report under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA, development of a framework and method to characterize risks of non-lethal weapons, and project manager for a 5-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA to develop peer consultation for risk assessment

Before joining TERA, Ms. Patterson worked for twelve years for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation and the Office of Research and Development. With EPA she planned and managed contractual and in-house activities for the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Her responsibilities included development of the overall IRIS program, database development, user support, outside involvement, and cross-Agency coordination.

In recognition of her contributions to the IRIS program, Ms. Patterson was awarded an EPA Bronze medal in 1991. She received numerous other awards during her EPA tenure including two additional Bronze medals for development of a new regulatory review program (1985) and establishment of an on-site childcare center (1991). She has published a number of papers on risk assessment and information resources.

• B. Phil., Interdisciplinary Studies, Miami University (1980)

• M.En., Environmental Sciences, Miami University (1984)

Meg Poehlmann, B.A.
Executive Administrator

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 10
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Poehlmann

Ms. Poehlmann joined TERA in June 1998 as  Executive Administrator. While working for TERA, she  attended Xavier University fulltime and completed her undergraduate degree. Ms. Poehlmann provides administrative guidance to the scientists and staff on a range of projects, with responsibilities ranging from administrative oversight of projects to website management, as well as overall office management.  Ms, Poehlmann is also the Editor of Wetland Matters, the newsletter for Oxbow, Inc.

• B.A., Liberal Arts, Xavier University (2000)

Judy Pollock
Financial Administrator

PHONE: (513) 542-7475, extension 12
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Pollock

Ms. Pollock joined TERA in April 2002   In her role as TERA’s financial administrator, Judy is responsible for all aspects of TERA’s financial management.  Before joining TERA, Judy worked for several small businesses simultaneously as bookkeeper or business manager.  Her role in these companies included all facets of bookkeeping, general office administration and design and layout of business forms and publications.  She specialized in setting up small office accounting systems that were then maintained on a weekly basis.  Judy is very active in the community and is a member of the Northside Community Council, where she served as Council treasurer from 2000-2001.  Judy is currently pursuing a degree in accounting.

Joan E. Strawson, M.S., M.T.S.C., J.D.
Senior Advisor in Risk and Outreach

Phone: (910) 692-7752
Fax: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Strawson

Ms. Strawson joined TERA in 1996 after spending five years with the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development. As Director of TERA's Education and Training program, she is responsible for developing programs to educate the public and others on toxicology and risk assessment issues by evaluating the training needs of various audiences and preparing course training materials. Examples of recent training activities include developing training modules on noncancer risk assessment and on evaluating mode of action under the 1996 cancer guidelines for U.S. EPA and developing a computerized training course for chemical workers on toxicology and risk assessment. In addition, Ms. Strawson has presented lectures on noncancer and cancer risk assessment at numerous graduate and continuing education courses.

Ms. Strawson also participates in TERA's VERA program by evaluating the human health risks posed by chemicals. These activities include the scientific review and analysis of health risk data, developing risk values (RfD/RfC, cancer potency values) and writing human health risk assessment reports. Recent assessments include acrylamide, acrylonitrile, bromate, chlorpyrifos, formaldehyde, hydrazine, and trimethylbenzenes. Ms Strawson also designs and monitors toxicity studies on perchlorate, which are needed to complete the data set for risk assessment.

During her years at EPA, Ms. Strawson worked closely with the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response as Director of the Superfund Health Risk Technical Support Center. In this capacity, she provided nationwide support in human health risk assessment, toxicology, exposure assessment and risk characterization to people conducting risk assessments for the Superfund program. In addition, she worked to educate the public on risk assessment methods and application to site clean up. Ms. Strawson was also a Chemical Manager for EPA's IRIS Pilot, conducting noncancer and cancer assessments on chemicals for the IRIS database, and she was a member of the group that was implementing improvements to EPA's IRIS process.

Prior to joining U.S. EPA, Ms. Strawson worked for several years as an environmental consultant in the areas of risk assessment, site assessment and remediation, occupational safety and health, and environmental communication. She has given many invited presentations on noncancer risk assessment and has published in the areas of occupational health and environmental communication.

• M.S., Toxicology, University of Kentucky, (1986)

• M.T.S.C., Technical and Scientific Communication, Miami University (1988)

• J.D., Salmon P. Chase College of Law (1997)

Andrea Wullenweber, M.S.
ITER Manager

PHONE: (425) 486-1769
FAX: (513) 542-7487
EMAIL: Ms. Wullenweber

Ms. Wullenweber joined TERA in 2000 to manage the International Toxicity Estimates for Risk (ITER) database (http://www.tera.org/iter/).  As ITER Manager, Ms. Wullenweber has expanded the database to over 620 chemicals of environmental concern with data from six national/international organizations and from independent parties whose risk values have undergone independent peer review.  In addition, she has developed a partnership with the National Library of Medicine through which the ITER Database has been added to the TOXNET compilation of databases (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/).  She is currently working to add oral risk data from NSF International and cancer classifications from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and is currently pursuing additional partnerships to add more organizations’ data to ITER.  Ms. Wullenweber also continues to add and/or update data from existing organizations on ITER, such as ATSDR, Health Canada, RIVM-The Netherlands, U.S. EPA, and from independent parties whose risk values have undergone peer review.  Ms. Wullenweber also provides support to the Peer Consultation and Peer Review Program by researching and coordinating logistical and travel arrangements for the meetings.  Ms. Wullenweber has co-authored two publications entitled, “Uncertainties in the Reference Dose for Methylmercury,” and “Human Health Risk Assessment:  Selected Internet and World Wide Web Resources.

Before joining TERA, Ms. Wullenweber worked for three years at U.S. EPA, Region 10, as the Air Toxics Program Coordinator. As such, she managed the program and provided regulatory and technical assistance to EPA staff, State and local agencies, industry, and the public. She also wrote Federal Register rules to delegate federal authorities to state and local agencies. While at EPA, she received an award for Outstanding Public Service from the Seattle Federal Executive Board, and received Special Act and Special Accomplishment Awards from U.S. EPA.

Previous to EPA, Ms. Wullenweber was an Environmental Manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base responsible for NEPA and Natural & Cultural Resources projects. In this capacity, she provided technical and regulatory support to assist fourteen bases in managing environmental conservation programs.

• M.S. Environmental Science (Toxicology & Environmental Health), Indiana University (1995) 
• B.S. Health & Sport Studies (Exercise Science), Miami University (1992)

TERA Visiting Scientist and TERA Fellow Programs

 TERA has developed both the Visiting Scientist and TERA Fellow Programs to encourage collaboration with others and to improve risk assessment practices.  Our program includes:

·        Visiting Scientists are those engaged with TERA for a fixed period of time or on a defined project.  Project work may or may not be onsite at TERA’s Cincinnati office.  While visiting scientists are often senior, positions can also be considered for scientists who are beyond internship level, but for whom a period at TERA would be of mutual benefit. 

·        TERA Fellows are senior scientists associated with TERA on a longer-term basis with ongoing scientific interactions. 

TERA Fellows and Visiting Scientists are not employees of TERA, but rather scientists who share TERA’s mission and values and seek to improve the practice of risk assessment.  TERA collaborates with Visiting Scientists and/or TERA Fellows on projects of mutual interest.    

In the past, scientists have worked with TERA and coauthored manuscripts or reports on a variety of topics, including methods for evaluating persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals, exposure assessment methods, dose-response modeling, mixtures assessment, and investigating the magnitude of adult-to-child toxicokinetic differences in inhalation dosimetry of gases. 

Individuals interested in either program should contact Dr. Michael Dourson , Director, at 513-542-7475 x14 or Dourson@tera.org.

TERA Visiting Scientists

Pertti J. (Bert) Hakkinen, Ph.D., Visiting Scientist
Richard C. Hertzberg, Ph.D. Visiting Scientist 
Charles A. Pittinger, Ph.D., Visiting Scientist

 Pertti J. (Bert) Hakkinen, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist
EMAIL:  PHakkinen@gradientcorp.com
Principal, Gradient Corporation
20 University  Road
Cambridge, MA 02138

Dr. Pertti J. (Bert) Hakkinen recently joined the staff of Gradient Corporation.  Dr. Hakkinen was formerly at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Physical and Chemical Exposure Unit (Ispra, Italy). Prior to his stint at the EU, he was at Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA) in the US as a Senior Fellow in Exposure and Risk Assessment, and at the Procter & Gamble Company in the US and Japan.

Richard C. Hertzberg, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist, TERA
EMAIL:  rhertzb@sph.emory.edu
Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health
Emory University
1518 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30322

Richard Hertzberg, Ph.D. is a biomathematician who is internationally recognized for innovations and expertise in quantitative methods for environmental health risk assessment of chemical mixtures. Dr. Hertzberg has a B.S. in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. in biomathematics from the University of Washington. He retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 after working for 25 years as a Mathematical Statistician with EPA’s Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment. He is presently a visiting Associate Professor at Emory University, and on the graduate committee for one student at Emory and one student at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Charles Anthony Pittinger, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist, TERA
EMAIL:  cpittinger@bbl-inc.com
Senior Toxicologist, BBL Sciences
4555 Lake Forest Drive
Westlake Center, Suite 650
Cincinnati, OH  45242

Dr. Pittinger is nationally known for his research, policy development and leadership in the environmental sciences, particularly toxicology, environmental risk assessment methodologies, and aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology.  He has over twenty years of technical experience, and has published more than forty technical articles, book chapters and editorials.  He has convened and chaired numerous technical steering committees and peer reviews for the public and private sectors.  His areas of expertise include: environmental and human health risk assessment and management of consumer product ingredients and industrial emissions; physicochemical property estimation by quantitative structure-activity relationships; environmental fate and transport modeling; technical external relations; environmental chemistry; toxicology; and sediment contamination.

Dr. Pittinger worked for seventeen years as Principal Scientist for The Procter & Gamble Company, during which he conducted basic and applied research and risk assessments of consumer product ingredients, and developed regulatory submissions for federal and international authorities.  He managed environmental studies in support of a Use Attainability Analysis of the Fenholloway River (Florida), impacted by a large pulp mill. As a technical external relations expert, he served in numerous leadership roles to develop sound and effective science and regulatory policies, guidelines and criteria.  He chaired the American Industrial Health Council’s Ecological Risk Assessment Committee for five years.  He served on the OECD’s Risk Assessment Advisory Board, the American Chemistry Council’s Ecological Risk Assessment Steering Team; and ASTM Subcommittee E-47.  He initiated SETAC’s Peer Review Subcommittee and co-authored SETAC’sTechnical Issue Paper on “Sound Science”.

Dr. Pittinger has extensive experience in leading initiatives across the public, private and government sectors to implement sound science and regulatory policy.  From 1994-2000, he helped to champion the establishment of SETAC’s Peer Review Subcommittee under the Technical Committee.  He drafted the initial mission statement and objectives, and helped to lead the first SETAC peer review of the American Chemical Council’s Long-Range Research Initiative.  Dr. Pittinger is currently serving his second term on the U.S. EPA’s Science Advisory Board, Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC).  During this period he has chaired two major reviews, including the Biotic Ligand Model and Proposed Guidelines for Stakeholder Involvement in Ecological Risk Management.  He participated in SAB reviews of the EPA’s Southeastern Ecological Framework and the Index of Watershed Indicators.  

Mission