The WRHSRC holds its Annual Meeting

The Western Region Hazardous Substance Research Center held its annual summer meeting on August 5 and 6. This meeting is a chance for Center personnel from Oregon State University and Stanford University to share their activities during the past year with the Center’s Science and Outreach Advisory Committees. The seven-member Outreach Advisory Committee (OAC) provides feedback and guidance to the TOSC and TAB programs.

At the meeting, the TOSC and TAB staff gave presentations on program goals and activities during 2002-2003.

TOSC Director Ken Williamson provided an overview of the program’s structure. We are set up as an interdisciplinary team and stretch our budget by utilizing many part-time staff with different expertise. Ken Williamson, Michael Fernandez, and Jerry Orlando contribute expertise in engineering, regulations, and cleanup. Denise Lach and Stephanie Sanford contribute expertise in community interaction and organization. Anna Harding and Mike Behm provide expertise in public health. Maria Wright manages our web sites and electronic newsletters.

TOSC Co-Director Denise Lach spoke about our efforts to evaluate our program. We have developed evaluation protocols that involve mid-course and closing interviews with community members we serve. These interviews are designed to provide feedback that will help us improve our services.

Technical Assistance Specialists Michael Fernandez and Jerry Orlando described our activities with several current TOSC communities. You can link to information about each TOSC community using the side-bar to the left.

Jerry Orlando also described two of our current TAB projects. You can read more about our TAB projects and TAB communities on the TAB web site.

Technology Transfer Coordinator Maria Wright described the WRHSRC’s technology transfer program and our efforts in 2002-2003 to expand our web sites and communication through electronic newsletters. The January 2003 TOSC/TAB Update highlights many of the new TOSC and TAB web site features.

Members of the OAC provided feedback on our activities. They expressed an interest in meeting with some of the community members we work with and in hearing summaries of what we learn through our evaluation process. They also suggested that we may be able to select particular emerging issues as focus areas. For example, we may be able to serve more communities if we can develop a set of outreach materials that are relevant to a group of communities affected by the same contaminant. At the same time, the Committee pointed out that one of our strengths is our ability to work one-on-one with a particular community and that we would not want to lose this focus. They also made suggestions about our interactions with particular communities in their regions.

If you would like more information about 2003 WRHSRC Annual Summer meeting or our Outreach Advisory Committee, please contact Stephanie Sanford at 541-737-5861 or stephanie.sanford@oregonstate.edu.