The PNW SETAC Board is an all-volunteer group of scientists from diverse educational and professional backgrounds.  It is comprised of Officers (Immediate Past President, President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) and a Board of Directors representing academia, government, and industry.  Officer and Board members are elected by the membership, usually in the fall, and serve 3-year terms.  We also have an At-Large (Student) Board member who is appointed annually by the Board.  Please feel free to contact any of our Officers or Board members via email.

Board

Kara Hitchko, President

Floyd|Snider

Kara Hitchko is an Associate Principal and Senior Environmental Toxicologist at Floyd|Snider with 15 years of experience supporting upland and in-water remediation projects across the Pacific Northwest. Her work focuses on the design and implementation of sediment investigations under CERCLA, MTCA, and the Sediment Evaluation Framework, including sample design, bioassay evaluations, and data interpretation. She plays a key role in the remediation of a former copper mine, where she manages sediment investigations, conducts biomonitoring, and supports long-term groundwater and surface water monitoring. Kara also manages PFAS groundwater and surface water monitoring for a local Port, helping to address evolving regulatory requirements for emerging contaminants. She earned her M.S. in Environmental Toxicology from Oregon State University and her B.S. in Environmental Science from Western Washington University.

Ariel Blanc, Vice-President

Anchor QEA, Inc.

Ariel Blanc is a Senior Managing Scientist at Anchor QEA and registered professional biologist (RPBio) with 17 years of experience conducting and supporting human health and ecological risk assessments for complex contaminated sites. She serves in a national role as a risk assessor and leads projects in Washington State and British Columbia. As a project manager, Ariel leverages her extensive experience implementing state lead remediation projects, CERCLA, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment projects across the Pacific Northwest and nationally. Ariel has led upland and sediment risk assessments in industrial and urban settings, including MGP sites, ports, and estuaries, and integrates a risk-perspective in her project management role for a feasibility study and other project deliverables. She obtained a B.S. in Environmental Science from Western Washington University and a Master of Environmental Toxicology (M.E.T.) from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Mark Surette, Past-President

WSP USA, Inc.

Mark Surette, Ph.D. P.E., is a Vice President at WSP USA, Inc. with more than 15 years’ experience investigating and remediating complex, large-scale contaminated sediment sites. Mark’s professional career centers on leading and participating in multidisciplinary teams conducting remedial investigations (RIs) and remedial designs (RDs) to address legacy contaminants (PCBs, DDT, PAHs, and heavy metals) in aquatic environments, while his research focuses on the analysis of emerging environmental contaminants (nano-/microplastics and engineered nanomaterials). Mark obtained his B.S. in Environmental and Civil Engineering from Clarkson University, his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Oregon State University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Washington and New York.

Miranda Jackson, Treasurer

WSP USA, Inc.

Miranda Jackson, Ph.D. is an Intermediate Toxicologist at WSP focused on human health and ecological risk assessments. Her specific interests are in aquatic ecotoxicology and emerging contaminants. Miranda received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Southern Illinois University and Ph.D. in Toxicology from Oregon State University. In her spare time she enjoys creating art and playing competitive pickleball.

Gunnar Guddal, Communications Lead

Anchor QEA

Gunnar Guddal is a Senior Scientist at Anchor QEA in Bellingham, Washington. Gunnar uses environmental chemistry, simulation modeling, statistics, and machine learning to inform science-based decision making at contaminated sites. Gunnar was introduced to PNW SETAC in 2015 as an undergraduate and then graduate student in the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry program at Western Washington University, and has since continued to participate in local, national, and international conferences. Outside of work, Gunnar enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family and meandering through niche technical hobbies.

Serhan Mermer, At-Large Academia

Oregon State University

Serhan Mermer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University and Director of the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), which provides the public with objective, science-based information to support the safe use of pesticides and antimicrobials and to communicate the risks associated with their use. His research program applies analytical chemistry to pesticide and environmental contaminant exposure in pollinators and agricultural systems, spanning pollinator toxicology, PFAS fate and effects, and applied pesticide residue and trade science. He earned his Ph.D. from Oregon State University.

Morgan Powers, At-Large Business

Fjord & Fish Sciences

Morgan Powers, Ph.D., is principal scientist and founder of Fjord & Fish Sciences in Anchorage, Alaska, where she helps Alaskans address environmental and biological concerns tied to cruise tourism, oil and gas development, mining, commercial fishing, and subsistence harvest. Her work draws on field sampling, biomonitoring, data mining, meta-analysis, and synthesis, paired with clear visualization and communication, to inform decisions and policy in Alaska’s marine waters. Morgan holds bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Fisheries from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an M.S. in Marine Ecotoxicology from the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, where she went on to earn her Ph.D. in 2020 on the effects of oil spills on Arctic fish.

Negonne Blair, At-Large Government

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Negonne Blair is an Environmental Toxicologist with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Department of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Sciences Program. She leads the development of the CTUIR Toxics Strategic Plan, centered on protecting First Foods and Tribal health from environmental contaminants. Her doctoral research focused on the toxicity of 6PPD-quinone to coho salmon, identifying systemic vascular barrier disruption as a key event in acute mortality. Her research braids Indigenous knowledge frameworks with environmental toxicology, cumulative risk assessment, and First Foods governance to advance chemical screening and regulation. Negonne enjoys walking with her dog along the River, writing poetry, and reading about the history and philosophy of science.

Brian John Weir, At-Large Student Representative

Portland State University

Brian John Weir is an Environmental Science undergraduate at Portland State University focusing their studies on freshwater systems. Their specific interests include heavy metals, emerging contaminants, and anthropogenic multi-stressor effects on aquatic-organism physiology. Prior research has included acute copper LC50 assays in Texas desert rotifers, zooplankton respiration response to sublethal toxicant exposure, Icelandic chironomid longevity response to temperature and nutrient treatments, and stream bioindicator monitoring across Oregon. Brian will complete their undergraduate degree in 2028 and pursue a doctoral program in aquatic ecotoxicology. They hope to share SETAC with a broader Pacific Northwest student audience, encourage conversations on long-term professional planning, and increase accessibility for local student members. In their spare time they cultivate their vegetable garden, hike local forests, work on watershed restoration projects, engage the public with community science programming, and travel as often as possible.

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You can access descriptions of Board officer and member roles HERE.