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Joe Haas '88
MS Hydrogeology (Stony Brook '97)
BS Geology
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Remediation
Bureau of Spill Prevention and Response
SUNY Building No.40
Stony Brook, NY 11790-2356
631-444-0332
Joe has been working as an Engineering Geologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation since May 1989. Within the Department he has worked for both the Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation (DHWR) and the Bureau of Spill Prevention and Response (BSPR).
Currently, he works out of the Long Island office (NYSDEC , Region-1- Head Quarters) where he is the Supervising Director of the Remediation Section for BSPR. Joe’s, Remediation Section consists of five Environmental Engineers and a Program Aid. Collectively, Joe's section is responsible for the investigation and remediation of sub-surface petroleum related ground water contamination in NYSDEC, Region-1. Presently, Joe's section oversees the investigation and remediation of approximately 1200 responsibility party funded sites. In addition to the regulatory oversight of responsibility party funded sites, Joe's section directs the investigation and remediation of approximately 120 state funded sites with annual expenditures of approximately four million dollars.
Joe also provides technical assistance to other technical and regulatory groups inside and outside of the Department. Within the past two years: Joe has provided technical assistance to the DHWR, Bureau of Federal Projects and the Director of NYSDEC - Region-1, for numerical fate and transport modeling of tritium contamination at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. He has instructed engineering / remediation staff of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services regarding the proper design and evaluation of soil vapor extraction systems and air-sparging systems. He continues to direct the preliminary investigation of groundwater impacts stemming from the application of the herbicide Simazine at electrical substations by the former Long Island Lighting Company.
Joe is also currently involved in research with representatives of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development regarding the analysis of the fate and transport of the gasoline additive Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). This research has made significant contributions to the understanding of the characteristics of MTBE in the sub-surface environment. The research findings have resulted in six published papers that have influenced the national debate on the use of MTBE in gasoline as well as advancing the methods used to characterize ground water contamination.
Heather Hartman '98
BA Environmental Science (PSU) AESP '97 (Miner Institute)
141 E. Davis Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
Heather is currently working as a hydrogeologist for Handex, an engineering consulting firm specializing in the assessment and remediation of petroleum underground storage tank sites landfill methane collection. She currently handles the assessment and monitoring phases of more than a dozen projects under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Preapproval Program.
Tyler Hastings, '06
B.A. Environmental Science (Planning/Management)
I have been working in Greenville, South Carolina for two and a half years now working with a Civil Engineering and Environmental Planning firm. I do a lot of work with GIS and stormwater master planning. We create databases for our clients and then do a large majority of the data collection and mapping of their infrastructure using GPS and Surveying equipment. I will be sitting for the Fundamentals of Surveying exam in the spring of 2009 leading up to a Professional Land Surveyor’s license. I have been down here in the South for about two and a half years. I have been with McGill Associates since I graduated from PSU in 2006, servicing both the Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC offices. I am in charge of all the field work related to our environmental services. I do a lot of work with GIS including database design, spatial analysis, and field data collection. I have also had the opportunity to take wetland delineation courses through NC State which allowed me to get involved with our wetland design and stream restoration projects. Unfortunately, since entering the workforce, I have been able to see a lot of the problems that plague our natural environment first hand. It is good knowing that I do work in a field that aims at solving issues such as water quality and restoring ecosystems to function as they should. I recently met with Dr. Barry Nocks, director for the School of Planning and Landscape Architecture at Clemson University. I am going to be applying for admissions into the Master’s of City and Regional Planning program. I am going to concentrate on environmental planning and development planning. After working in the civil engineering industry for some time, I feel that a Masters in Planning is the next step towards career advancement.
Chris Hawver '90, '93
MA Environmental Science (PSU)
Chris and E.O. Wilson at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Director of Research
Albany Pine Bush Preserve
The Nature Conservancy
Albany, NY
Chris has been an employee of the Nature Conservancy since 1993. He works as Director of Research and Management for the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, a globally rare inland pine barrens located in an urban setting. Chris conducted research at the jack pine barrens at Altona Flat Rock while at PSU. Chris oversees and directs all Preserve conservation science and stewardship activities including; ecological research, management and restoration, public education and outreach, conservation planning, and program administration. Certified as the co-fire manager for The Nature Conservancy of New York, he is directly responsible for implementing the nationally recognized Pine Bush fire management program and serves as a consulting resource for other state and federal fire programs. In addition, Chris supports land protection, fund-raising and outreach efforts and coordinates cooperative efforts among federal, state, municipal, and non-governmental agencies to increase program support. He supervises four full-time employees.
Jennifer (Hensinger) Hull '97
BA Environmental Science - (PSU)
BA Geology (PSU)
Jennifer graduated in 1997 with a BA in Geology and Environmental Science. As a student, Jennifer assisted with wetland mapping and remote sensing research conducted by Dr. Donald Bogucki and Eileen Allen in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science. She tutored for many geology and environmental science courses through the Clarke Learning Center. Jennifer was a resident assistant on campus and a member of several honor societies including Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. In 1996, Jennifer was named a Hudson Scholar and was a recipient of the Hudson Scholarship. Following graduation, Jennifer attended graduate school at Binghamton University and pursued a MA in Geology with a concentration on hydrogeology. After graduate school, Jennifer worked as a geologist and consultant for a petroleum company, primarily managing remediation sites. Her work included conducting remedial investigations and on-going maintenance for petroleum related spill sites. Jennifer married in November of 2000 and has two fabulous daughters ages 11 and 2. She is currently working as a paralegal for an environmental law firm in Syracuse.
Jay Hollingsworth '96
BS Environmental Science - (PSU)
MS Environmental Sci. & Engineering '97 (OGI)
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology
Beaverton, OR 97006-8921
503-690-1652
Jay has been working as a research associate with Dr. James Pankow at Oregon Graduate Institute since 1997. His research is part of a U.S. Geological Survey funded project to evaluate atmospheric sources of volatile organic compounds in shallow groundwater aquifers. They are also investigating phytoremediation of volatile organics in groundwater using hybrid poplars.
Contact Information
To learn more about the Center for Earth and Environmental Science, please contact:
Dr. Robert Fuller (Director)
Campus Location: Hudson Hall, 102
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: (518) 564-2028
Toll-Free Phone: (877) 554-1041
Fax: (518) 564-5267
E-mail: cees@plattsburgh.edu