As an entomologist at the CMMCP, I assist in the operation of the adult mosquito surveillance light trap program, including identifying mosquitoes collected to genus and species and keeping accurate and detailed records of findings in CMMCP and MDPH databases. I also provide support with program tasks such as maintaining and setting traps, maintaining mosquito collections, delivering specimens to the Massachusetts Department of Health, and otherwise assisting with the adulticide program.

In this position I was most proud of the important role I played in taking the lead on projects that strove to determine and better understand sources of pollution and ways to reduce them. I led the air toxics emissions inventory development for the groundbreaking DEQ Portland Air Toxics Solutions (PATS) project, and conceptualized much of the areal analysis for the inventory using GIS in order to refine the locations of emissions sources. The result of the PATS project was a final report with recommendations, submitted to project stakeholders and the public with follow-up in the form of a residential wood combustion survey for the Portland region. I worked closely with DEQ colleagues on the survey instrument development, and contracted with the Portland State University Survey Research Lab in order to complete the survey. Survey results yielded a wealth of information about the sources and location of the sources of residential wood smoke, a significant contributor to air pollution in urban, suburban and rural areas. In addition to PATS, I also planned and coordinated emissions inventory development for the DEQ Portland-Medford Multipollutant Analysis Project (PMMAP), encompassing 38 criteria and air toxic pollutants for both the Portland and Medford regions. I conducted the GIS analysis for the PMMAP inventory, generating 80 spatial surrogates for over 450 emissions source types, placing emissions at the sub-county level within Air Quality Maintenance Areas. The final PMMAP technical report, in progress at the time of my relocation to Boston, will be instrumental in proposed rulemaking. I also take pride in the projects I worked on that ensured Oregon’s compliance with the federal Clean Air Act. I managed, developed and led State Implementation Plan emissions inventories, and oversaw triennial National Emissions Inventory submittals, in accordance with and fulfilling EPA Air Emissions Reporting Requirements.