Hilary Rains Email & Phone Number

Fairfax, Va, Us

Chantilly, Va

Support NPDES permit programs at federal and State levels (EPA Regions; EPA OWM; Arizona; California; Hawaii; Nevada; Oregon; US territories). Provide technical assistance for the development of NPDES permits, including program-specific reasonable potential analyses and technical writing. Assisted EPA's Office of Waste Management and Office of Water with multiple projects, including innovative technology assessments, congressional reports, permit writer's course manual updates, aerial fire retardant assessment, shellfish aquaculture industry evaluation, Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan evaluations, ICIS data coding, and development of the wetlands section of the annual greenhouse gas inventory. Assisted EPA's Office of Science and Technology with an evaluation of PFAS discharges from industrial facilities. Assisted Arizona DEQ with use attainability analysis guidance document and assessments. Assisted Hawaii DOH with implementing Supreme Court ruling requiring development of an NPDES permit for Lahaina Injection Wells.

Bloomington, Indiana Area

Conducted research on methane and related isotope cycling within an Arctic lake system and fringing wetland, as well as analysis of littoral vegetation and related sediments for TOC and stable carbon isotope variation. Assisted with comparison of in-situ and laboratory measurements of methane concentration and stable carbon isotope ratios with NASA Goddard collaborators. Employed gas, water, sediment, and plant sampling techniques. Ran methods experiments to determine optimal headspace gas and agitation time for dissolved methane stripping procedure, and effects of microbial activity on methane concentration and stable carbon isotope composition during gas storage in new type of gas sample collection bags. Analyzed samples using multiple instruments (YSI sonde, ICOS, GC-C IRMS with Precon, EA-IRMS). Data entry, along with spatial and statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS, StatsPlus, and OriginPro. Contributed to NASA funding proposal for PSTAR. Lead distance learning outreach seminar from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to Douglas Wilder Middle School, Richmond, VA for Career College and Readiness Program participants.

Bloomington, Indiana Area

Served as an Assistant Instructor for graduate-level aquatic chemistry courses. Taught laboratory demonstrations pertaining to alkalinity, natural buffers, titration, and alum flocculation. Graded exams and assisted students with the MineQL program for water chemistry analysis.

Naples, Florida

Launch and organization of new wetlands research lab, including overseeing installation of new equipment (GC, GCMS, TOC, germanium detector) and establishing NFPA chemical storage system. Coordinated community outreach by helping with free lecture series and interviewing with local newspaper. Collected and analyzed freshwater and coastal atmosphere samples for methane flux analysis using gas chromatography. Collected mangrove system fish specimens for identification. Contributed to budget justification for NSF funding proposal. Lead distance learning experience in scientific method for 8th-grade science classes at Harry Flood Byrd Middle School in Richmond, VA.

Columbus, Ohio

Analyzed methane emissions from RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance in at the Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park. Employed static flux chamber and gas chromatography.

F.T. Stone Laboratory, Put-In-Bay, Oh

Conducted research on Laurentian Great Lakes invasive fish species. Included sampling, gut content analysis, and identification of macroinvertebrate families. Employed seining, trawling, and microscopy techniques. Analyzed age-class data. Data entry, statistical analysis, and published results.

Master Of Science (M.S.), Environmental Science

Thesis Chapter 1: Spatial variation in fluxes and stable isotope composition of methane in a small Arctic lake with fringing wetland.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Ecology And Evolutionary Biology