Clarkson University Professor of Biology Michael Twiss has been appointed to a three-year term on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Advisory Board Science and Information Subcommittee.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy appointed Twiss, who has studied the Great Lakes for more than 25 years, to provide independent advice on technical issues to help the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force address challenging environmental priorities.
As a freshwater scientist, or limnologist, Twiss has focused his career on the Great Lakes with the goal to produce and convey the best scientific information to protect the remarkable and globally significant environment. His research examines phytoplankton ecology and nutrient cycling, as well as contaminants and trace metal biogeochemistry.
Twiss said he is well-versed in multidisciplinary aspects of Great Lakes science and policy, a knowledge base that is valuable for understanding the multidisciplinary aspects of pressing initiatives such as adaptive management and Great Lakes restoration. As a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Twiss said he is equally devoted to each country’s obligation to Great Lakes restoration.
A team player at both the local and international levels, Twiss strives to help solve Great Lakes problems as a member of the Massena Area of Concern (AOC) Remedial Action Committee in Massena, N.Y., and as a member of the International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board's Research Coordination Committee.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to provide advice for advancing the understanding and management of the Great Lakes," said Twiss on his new role with the EPA. "The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system is of tremendous value to New York State and our region, yet we face many obstacles as we try to attain the best ecosystem-based management of this ecosystem that has so many stakeholders."
The EPA Great Lakes Advisory Board provides independent advice and recommendations on matters related to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to the EPA Administrator and on domestic matters related to implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. The advisory board is intended to provide a forum to convey views representative of nonfederal stakeholders in the Great Lakes community.
The major objectives of the advisory board are to provide advice and recommendations, as requested by federal agencies through the EPA administrator on Great Lakes protection and restoration policy, including the chemical, biological and physical integrity of the ecosystem; long term goals and objectives for Great Lakes protection and restoration; annual priorities to protect and restore the Great Lakes that may be used to help inform budget decisions; and other needs and issues identified by the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force.
