Attendees List - 4-12-2024

Agenda

Workshop Agenda

Quiz (only valid for those who attended in person)

Presentations

• NC Welcome - Catherine Rosfjord, NC DHHS
• EPA Welcome Region 4 - Mary Reynolds, EPA Region 4
• EPA Welcome Headquarters - Katrin Kral, EPA
• CRCPD/HUD Resources - Joshua Kerber, CRCPD E25 Chair
• Uranium toxicity in groundwater - Kennedy Holt, NC Occupational & Environmental Epidenimology
• Radon:Increased toxitiy risk for children and smokers - Kennedy Holt, NCOEE
• Radon: Canine and feline health impacts - Mike Nolan, NC State, College of Vet Med
• Are your educational efforst accessible? - Blaire Johnston & Saira Estrada, City of Charlotte
• Prioritizing radon in the NC State Health Improvement Plan - Amy Lanou, WNC Health Policy Institute
• Case Study: Determining radon susceptibility from NC Geological Survey and test kit data - Jim Chapman, NC Geological Survey
• Indoor Environments Association (IEA)/AARST update - Diane Swecker & Jane Malone, IEA
• The CLOVER Study: the effects of climate change on indoor radon levels and extended exposure - Zhenchun Yang
• Prioritizing radon in the NC Cancer Control Plan - Vickie Fowler, NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control
• EPA Radon Credentialing Overview - Katrin Kral, EPA 
• NRSB Update - Michelle Wunderlich, NRSB
• NRPP Update - Amy Roedl, NRPP Proficiency Director
• Hunting the Radon Source: Technology for Tracking Radon and How to Use it - Brian Hanson, National Radon Program
• Large Building Case Study - Merritt Gantt, True Air Technologies
• April 17 Workshop - Mary Lou Addor

Presenter Bios (as provided)

Kennedy Holt

As an Environmental Toxicologist for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Mr. Holt is responsible for responding to chemical incidents, determining potential health impacts related to exposures to contaminants, and communicating those health risks to communities across the state. During his career with DHHS Mr. Holt has provided public health guidance to multiple communities impacted by environmental contamination which include those impacted by coal ash, PFAS, and radionuclides. During the responses to these events, Mr. Holt worked extensively to communicate the health risks, not only to local health departments and other stakeholders, but to have conversations and work directly with community members to address their concerns. Furthermore, Mr. Holt routinely works with private well owners to help them better understand how contaminants in their wells may impact well owners and their families, but also provide recommendations on mitigation and treatment techniques to address those concerns. To this end, Mr. Holt has led the efforts to develop North Carolina’s first publicly available electronic tool for providing public health guidance for private well water analyses via the “Be Well Informed” platform. 

Mike Nolan

Dr. Mike Nolan is a Professor at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Through his clinical appointment in the Veterinary Hospital, he oversees the division of radiation oncology. He is also principal investigator for several clinical trials aimed at developing both novel cancer therapies and radiosensitizers. His laboratory research focuses on reducing risk of severe cancer treatment-associated toxicity, with a focus on peripheral neuropathy and pain.

Blaire Johnston

Blaire Johnston serves as the City of Charlotte’s Title I ADA Specialist. In this role, she supports HR’s mission to help employees thrive in all stages of their career. Her passion and commitment to self-advocacy is powered by her experience as a person with a disability.  She obtained her Master of Education from Auburn University. In her downtime, Blaire enjoys spending time with her family, books and choosing sides in the NC BBQ debate.

Amy Lanou

Dr. Amy Joy Lanou is the Director for the North Carolina Institute for Public Health and a Professor in the Public Health Leadership Program. She formerly served as Executive Director of the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness and Professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at UNC Asheville. She also served as the UNC Asheville Lead for the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health Program with a concentration in place-based health. She has 5 years of public health practice experience and 30 years of experience in nutrition and health promotion in academic, non-profit, and small business settings, specializing in nutrition for prevention, management, and treatment of chronic conditions. She is the author of Building Bone Vitality and Healthy Eating for Life for Children as well as numerous research articles.

Her interests include social connectedness to address social isolation and loneliness, the impact of dissemination of evidence-based health promotion programs on healthy aging, engaged, inter- and cross-disciplinary teaching and learning practices, health policy and food politics and nutrition policy, and plant-based eating styles for health promotion and disease prevention.  

Jim Chapman

Jim Chapman is a Senior Geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS). Jim received bachelor’s degree from NC State University and while living in the northwest he attended Central Washington University for graduate school, specializing in remote sensing techniques while conducting research on the Cascadia Subduction Zone. After working in the petroleum industry and at the Hanford superfund site, Jim worked for the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey for 7 years before coming to the NCGS in January 2019. Jim works on a variety of projects for the NCGS ranging from critical minerals research to river morphology. Jim’s foray into the geological controls of naturally occurring radon is an extension of his interest in telling stories with maps.

Diane Swecker

Diane is the Executive Director of the Indoor Environments Association (formerly AARST), brings a fresh perspective and a strong dedication to IEA's mission. With 25 years of experience in various leadership positions within technical organizations, Diane has a proven track record in expanding membership, overseeing certifications, advancing standards development, and fostering collaboration among diverse teams. 

Zhenchun Yang

Zhenchun is a dedicated environmental health researcher currently serving as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. His research focuses on environmental exposure and epidemiology. During his postdoctoral training, he has contributed to numerous environmental health studies by enhancing environmental exposure assessments using advanced statistical methods, satellite data, and low-cost sensors. Additionally, Zhenchun has delved into uncovering relationships between novel environmental exposure metrics such as greenness, nocturnal light exposure, and wildfire-induced indoor PM2.5 concentrations with various health outcomes. With a solid foundation from Imperial College London, Zhenchun is unwavering in his dedication to formulating cutting-edge solutions to mitigate health risks posed by environmental factors. This dedication is further bolstered by his ongoing efforts to understand the health repercussions of environmental shifts amidst our rapidly changing climate.

Vickie Fowler

 

Katrin Kral

Katrin Kral is a senior environmental health leader within EPA’s Indoor Environments Program in the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. She has over 20 years of experience advancing national environmental programs to improve air quality and public health at the US EPA.