Science, Design and Policy Panelists:

Professor Cynthia Hagley, Environmental Quality Extension Educator, Minnesota Sea Grant College Program

Cynthia Hagley has been involved in water and environmental quality outreach at Minnesota Sea Grant since 1993. Her current roles at Sea Grant include facilitation and teacher education as well as outreach. Through these roles she is or has been part of the Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence Great Lakes, the LCCMR Statewide Conservation Plan, Great Lakes Observing Systems, LakeSuperiorStreams.org, Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials, University of Minnesota Extension Shoreland and Stormwater Education teams, the Great Lakes Education Collaborative, the Regional Stormwater Protection Team, among others. Prior to Sea Grant, Cynthia worked as a research scientist for contractors to the Environmental Protection Agency. She completed her M.S. degree in aquatic ecology at the University of California, Davis and her B.S. from the University of Minnesota.

Professor Randall E. Hicks, Director, Center for Freshwater Research and Policy, University of Minnesota Duluth

Randall E. Hicks completed a Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Georgia and did postdoctoral work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Illinois Natural History Survey before joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Hicks is an environmental microbiologist who studies the diversity and productivity of aquatic microbial communities.His work has taken him to the bottom of different great lakes using a manned submersible, to Russia and various oceans, but current research efforts in his lab are focused on the North American Great Lakes and watersheds in northern Minnesota. He is the author or coauthor of over 25 scientific journal articles and book chapters. Most of the research conducted in his laboratory has been supported by the Sea Grant College Program, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. EPA.

Senator Mike Jungbauer, Minnesota State Senate

Senator Mike Jungbauer still lives on the East Bethel farm where he was raised.  As a pastor, a water treatment designer and a business man, he has fused his diverse backgrounds for a common goal of common sense public service, particularly in the field of environmental policy. After an early political start lobbying Congress for farm policy reform, Senator Jungbauer spent two decades becoming a national expert on waste-water treatment design, earning a patent in bioremediation and consulting on water projects in Poland, Germany, Honduras and the Philippines.  Then after winning two terms as the Mayor of his hometown, Jungbauer ran for and was elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 2002. He  serves on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) standing committee on Agriculture, Environment & Energy and the American Legislative Exchange Councils standing committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy. 

Mr. Peter MacDonagh, Director of Design & Science, Kestrel Design Group

Peter MacDonagh is Director of Design + Science for the Kestrel Design Group. He was trained at the National Botanic Garden in Ireland, and the University of Minnesota. Peter is a registered landscape architect, professional arborist, horticulturist, certified wetland delineator, wildland fire manager, and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota.

Peter authored the site and water portions of the State of Minnesota’s Sustainable Building Guidelines (B3) and completed the award-winning Minnesota Soil Bioengineering Handbook for MNDOT. He is an internationally recognized authority on sustainable landscape architecture, and is widely sought for his expertise in urban stormwater, green roofs, and urban trees.

Mr. Gene Merriam, President, Freshwater Society

Gene Merriam has served as President of the Freshwater Society since 2007. Before coming to the Fresh Water Society he served as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources from 2003-2007.  He also served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1974-1996, representing the Coon Rapids/Anoka area.  For the entirely of his service in the Minnesota Senate he sat on the Natural Resources Committee, including serving 6 years as chair.  During that time he authored many environmental protection and conservation laws and served 16 years on the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.  He currently serves on several boards and councils, including: MN Chapter of the National Audubon Society,MN Center for Environmental Advocacy, MN Conservation Voter Center, MN Forest Resources Council.

Professor Lance Neckar, Head, Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Design, University of Minnesota

Lance M. Neckar is the co-editor of Landscape Journal, the North American academic journal of the field. A Center for Transportation Studies Faculty Scholar, he was principal investigator for the urban design section of the Transportation and Regional Growth study. A member of the campus Stormwater Linkage Committee, Neckar was also principal author of the natural features and open space section of the new campus master plan. He was formerly Interim Director of the Metropolitan Design Center, a Founding Fellow, Institute on the Environment, and principal author of the transportation section of the LCCMR State Conservation Plan.

Professor Dave Pitt, College of Design, University of Minnesota

Bio to come

Mr. Fred Rozumalski, Landscape Ecologist, Barr Engineering

Fred Rozumalski holds degrees in Horticulture, Ecology and Landscape Architecture. He is currently employed as a Landscape Ecologist with Barr Engineering Company in Minneapolis, MN and has worked on projects involving native plant community restoration, stormwater infiltration techniques, and sustainable landscape design. He strives to create diverse, ecologically sound and attractive landscapes that function to meet people’s needs and desires.

Rozumalski has co-authored Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and is currently adjunct faculty in the department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota.

Nancy Schuldt, Water Projects Coordinator, Fond du Lac Environmental Program

Nancy Schuldt has been working for the Band since September 1997.  She has a B.S. in biology from the University of Dayton, and a master’s degree in aquatic ecology from the University of Kansas.  She has been responsible for developing Fond du Lac’s water quality program, which includes a comprehensive water quality monitoring program, data management and analysis, assessment and reporting, and criteria development.  These activities all support the Band’s EPA-approved water quality standards. She represents the Band on many local, regional, statewide, national and binational organizations, and serves as the Region 5 representative to the National Tribal Water Council. 

Professor Deborah Swackhamer, Environmental Health Sciences, Co-Director, Water Resources Center, University of Minnesota

Deborah Swackhamer is an environmental chemist with a focus on water systems. She has been at the university since 1986. Swackhamer currently serves as Chair of the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission of the US and Canada. Swackhamer was also appointed by Governor Pawlenty to serve on the Minnesota Clean Water Council. Her research interests include chemical and biological processes that control the fate of toxic organic contaminants in the aquatic environment, particularly bioaccumulation of persistent compounds in fish; the processes that control exposure to environmental estrogenic compounds; and the development of contaminant indicators of ecosystem health.

Dr. Vince Tidwell, Hydrologist, Sandia National Laboratories

Vincent Tidwell is a Principle Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. He has 18 years experience conducting and managing research on basic and applied projects in water resource management, nuclear and hazardous waste storage/remediation, and petroleum recovery. Most recently efforts have focused on establishing a multi-agency, multi-university center devoted to the creation and application of computer-aided decision support tools and stakeholder mediated decision processes. Focus of this effort is on water resource management and planning and integration of the broad physical and social processes important to water planning.

Marie Zellar, National Deputy Director, Clean Water Action

Marie has worked for Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action since August of 1993. Prior to this she served as Grassroots Director and Policy Director for the Hoosier Environmental Council in Indiana.  Her policy background includes extensive work on water quality, waste management, energy policy and agriculture policy.  She has worked since 1987 analyzing federal, state and local environmental policies and in translating complex environmental policy problems into motivating campaigns for citizen leaders. 

In addition to her work with Clean Water, Marie has served on the Executive Work Group for the Minnesota Electoral Table.  She has also created the nationally recognized state-based donor collaborative Win Minnesota to fund issue advocacy and voter mobilization.

Robert Garfinkle, Director, Science and Social Change Program, Science Museum of Minnesota

Robert Garfinkle has been with the Science Museum of Minnesota for the last 15 years as an exhibit developer and project leader. In the last four years he has led the SMM team that designed and produced RACE: Are We So Different.   He has led other major exhibit projects at the Science Museum, including Raise the Roof,  Invention at Play, and Playing With Time.  He’s currently working on the Science and Social Change Program, a new initiative at SMM that seeks to connect issues of social justice, racism, classism, and the communities most affected by these realities to issues of science and technology.

Sherri Knuth, Policy Fellow at Grasstops, Inc. and Writer at Minnesota Lawyer

Sherri Knuth is currently a writer for Minnesota Lawyer and a Policy Fellow at Grasstops, Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to give community groups and nonprofits a greater voice in policy and legislation. Sherri is a member of the Citizens League Water Policy Study Committee. She obtained a Master of Public Affairs from the Humphrey School in 2008 and has a J.D. from the University of Illinois. Earlier in her career, she practiced environmental law. Sherri was previously co-chair of the St. Paul District 10 Environmental Committee which successfully petitioned for formation of the Capitol Region Watershed District.