Appendix B
Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
Kai N. Lee, Chair, is Rosenburg Professor of Environmental Studies and former director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College. He previously taught political science and environmental studies at the University of Washington and has been a visiting professor, lecturer, or research fellow at the Kyoto Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, Trent University, the University of Wisconsin, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and an on-line education program at the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute. Dr. Lee earned his A.B. in experimental physics from Columbia College and his Ph.D. in experimental physics from Princeton University. In 1971 he was awarded a research training fellowship by the Social Science Research Council, after which he began his professional career in political science and environmental studies.
Chris G. Whipple, Vice Chair, is a principal in ENVIRON International Corporation in Emeryville, California, which provides consulting services mainly to private industry. His professional interests are in risk assessment, and he has consulted widely in this field for private clients and government agencies. Prior to joining ENVIRON, he worked at ICF Kaiser Engineers and the Electric Power Research Institute. Dr. Whipple holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in engineering science from the California Institute of Technology and a B.S. in engineering science from Purdue University. Dr. Whipple is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
John S. Applegate is Walter W. Foskett Professor of Law at the Indiana University School of Law—Bloomington. He teaches and writes about environmental law, regulation of hazardous substances, risk, environmental remediation, and the Department of Energy. Mr. Applegate co-chaired the Long-Term Stewardship and Accelerated Cleanup subcommittees of the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Advisory Board. He was previously the James B. Helmer, Jr., Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and chaired the Fernald Citizens Advisory Board and has been a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University Law School, a judicial clerk to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and an attorney in private practice. He is the author or co-author of over 20 articles and one book on risk and environmental law. Mr. Applegate received a B.A. in English from Haverford College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Susan L. Brantley is professor of geosciences and director of the Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Brantley’s research focuses on chemical processes associated with the circulation of aqueous fluids in shallow hydrogeologic settings and deep in the earth’s crust. Her research incorporates field and laboratory work, and theoretical modeling of observations to better understand what controls the chemistry of natural water and how water interacts with the rocks through which it flows. Dr. Brantley was a Fulbright Scholar and has been a visiting scientist at both the U.S. Geological Survey and Stanford University. She has received both the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award and the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship. Dr. Brantley received her B.A. in chemistry and received her M.A., and a Ph.D., both in geological and geophysical sciences, all from Princeton University.
Thure E. Cerling is professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. His research interests focus on the use of isotopes as hydrologic tracers, geology of Old World paleoanthropologic sites, soils as climatological indicators, and environmental geochemistry (contaminant migration in ground water, rivers, and soils), among others. Dr. Cerling has been a visiting professor or fellow at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Yale University; the Université de Lausanne; Hebrew University, Israel; and the California Institute of Technology. He is a fellow of the Geological Society of America and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Cerling received his B.S. in geology and chemistry and his M.S. in geology, both from Iowa State University, and received his Ph.D. in geology from the University of California at Berkeley.
Allen G. Croff is manager of Environmental Technology Program Development in the Biological and Environmental Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Prior to this position he was associate director of the Chemical Technology Division at ORNL. His area of focus is initiation of research and development involving waste management and nuclear fuel cycles. Since joining ORNL in 1974, he has been involved in numerous technical studies that have focused on waste management and nuclear fuel cycles. He has served on several National Research Council committees, including the Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes, which produced the Phase 1 report on long-term institutional management of DOE sites, in 2000. Mr. Croff holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, a Nuclear Engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee.
Patricia J. Culligan is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Culligan’s research interests lie in the field of geo-environmental engineering and focus primarily on the experimental and numerical modeling of flow and contaminant transport processes in geologic systems. Her current research addresses the effectiveness of in situ remediation strategies for the cleanup of waste sites. In addition, she has worked in the design of land-based disposal cells. Dr. Culligan has received numerous awards including the Arthur C. Smith Award for Undergraduate Service, and the NSF CAREER Award. She is also the author or co-author of over 50 journal articles, book chapters, and refereed conference papers. Dr. Culligan received her B.Sc. degree from the University of Leeds, England, and her M.Phil. and Ph.D., both from Cambridge University, England.
Steven N. Handel, professor of ecology and evolution at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, studies the population biology of native plants in many
habitats. He is currently director of the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology. Prior to joining the faculty at Rutgers, he was associate professor of biology and director of the Marsh Botanic Garden at Yale University, and also taught at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Mountain Lake Station, and the University of South Carolina. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Biology, an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow of the Ecological Society of America, and an associate editor of the journal, Restoration Ecology. Dr. Handel previously served as president of the Torrey Botanical Society and as a member of the board of directors of the Society for Ecological Restoration. Dr. Handel received his B.A. in biological sciences from Columbia College and received his M.S. and his Ph.D. from Cornell University in ecology and evolution.
Robert J. Huggett is vice president for research and graduate studies at Michigan State University (MSU). Before joining MSU in June 1997, he was assistant administrator for research and development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and led committees on environmental issues within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is professor emeritus at the College of William and Mary, where he was a faculty member for 20 years. During those years he also served as chair of environmental science in the School of Marine Science and head of the Division of Chemistry and Toxicology. Dr. Huggett has studied the fate and effects of hazardous chemicals in aquatic environments, publishing more than 80 articles. He has served on several committees of the National Research Council. Dr. Huggett attended the College of William and Mary and then earned a M.S. in marine chemistry from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego and a Ph.D. in marine science at William and Mary.
Todd R. La Porte is professor of political science at the University of California at Berkeley. His fields of specialization are theories of public organization and administration; and science, technology, and politics. Dr. La Porte teaches courses on public organization theory, administrative behavior, and technology and politics. His current research focuses on high-reliability organizations and the relationship of large-scale technical systems to political legitimacy. Dr. La Porte chaired the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board’s Task Force on Radioactive Waste Management. He was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration in 1985, but is no longer an active member. Dr. La Porte received his B.A. in social sciences and mathematics from the University of Dubuque and received his M.A. and his Ph.D., both in political science from Stanford University.
P. Suresh C. Rao is the Lee A. Rieth Chair & Distinguished Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University and he holds a joint appointment in the Agronomy Department in the School of Agriculture. Prior to arriving at Purdue, Dr. Rao was on the faculty at the University of Florida for 24 years where he now holds an appointment as an emeritus graduate research professor. Dr. Rao teaches contaminant hydrology and remediation engineering. His research has involved development of innovative technologies for characterization of hazardous waste sites, and for enhanced remediation of contaminated soils and aquifers. Dr. Rao has received several awards including the Environmental Quality Research Award and the EPA Scientific & Technology Achievement Award. He is a fellow of the Soil Science Society and the American Society of Agronomy. Dr. Rao received his B.Sc. in Agriculture from the A.P. Agriculture University in India, his M.S. in soil science from Colorado State University, and his Ph.D. in soil science from the University of Hawaii.
Allan C.B. Richardson is an independent consultant on issues related to cleanups involving radioactive contaminants. Prior to retiring in 1998, he was associate director for radiation policy in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. Mr. Richardson joined the EPA when it was formed in 1970 and led or played a key role in the development of most of EPA’s standards for radiation. Prior to joining the EPA, he was a nuclear physicist at the National Bureau of Standards. Mr. Richardson has served as a committee member for the International Commission on Radiological Protection. He has consulted for international organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has served as advisor to the peoples of Bikini, Enewetak, and Rongelap, and the Rocky Flats Citizens Advisory Board. He received several awards for distinguished service in EPA. He is the author of many publications in professional journals and technical reports. Mr. Richardson received his B.S. in chemistry from the College of William and Mary and his M.S. in molecular physics from the University of Maryland.
Milton Russell is a senior fellow and was founding director of the Joint Institute for Energy and Environment; he is also professor emeritus of economics at the University of Tennessee. His current research focuses on analysis and policy direction for managing the environmental legacy of Department of Energy facilities. Dr. Russell has taught at several universities in the United States and abroad. He served as senior staff economist for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and later as director of the Center for Energy Policy Research at Resources for the Future. Dr. Russell served as assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, directing its policy, planning, regulatory development, and evaluation functions. He was a member of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, and has been elected a fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis. He is currently chair of the Westinghouse Savannah River Site Environmental Advisory Committee. Dr. Russell received his B.A. from the Texas College of Arts and Industries and his M.A. and his Ph.D., both in economics from the University of Oklahoma.
Michele Straube is co-founder of CommUnity Resolution, Inc., which provides mediation, facilitation, and environmental-policy consulting services to local, state, and federal governments focusing on RCRA and Superfund issues. She is also adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Law. Much of her current work involves designing and implementing collaborative processes to involve communities and citizens in government and corporate environmental decision making. Ms. Straube previously served as director of the State Superfund Network, senior attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, an attorney in private practice, director of the Alaska Consumer Advocacy Program, and an enforcement attorney with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. Ms. Straube received a B.A. in linguistics and German from Rice University, and she received a J.D. from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire.
