Overview
This award recognizes University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduates who have distinguished themselves in their professional field and are widely recognized for their career accomplishments in the areas of sustainability, environmental management, environmental policy, or other closely related areas. If you know of a UW-Green Bay alumnus who meets the award’s criteria, please return to complete the online nomination form to be considered for a future award.
2018 Earth Caretaker Award Recipient
Douglas McLaughlin
Since 2002, Doug has been a Principal Research Scientist at the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI), a non-profit environmental research organization funded by the forest products industry. He is based near Kalamazoo, Michigan where he provides scientific expertise and research that address questions affecting surface water quality and management. Over the last several years, he has focused on the science underpinning the development of numeric water quality criteria for nutrients and other pollutants. These criteria are a central part of water quality management in the U.S. under the Clean Water Act, and represent potentially important sustainability goals for guiding human interactions with aquatic ecosystems.
Doug began his career in 1985 as an environmental scientist with Fort Howard Corporation in Green Bay after completing a B.S. in Biological Resources Management and an M.S. in Aquatic Biology under the guidance of H.J. “Bud” Harris. At Fort Howard, he worked on projects related to characterizing and improving wastewater quality, and led several studies designed to better understand and reduce concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mill wastewater. His work on PCBs led him to pursue studies in the Land Resources program of the Institute for Environmental Studies (now the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies) at UW-Madison. While there, he conducted research in the Water Chemistry Program, guided by Drs. David Armstrong and Anders Andren, to investigate the natural alterations of PCB mixtures in Fox River sediments and techniques for the destruction of PCBs. He returned to Fort Howard where his work on PCB-related topics continued. In the late 1990s he joined an environmental consulting firm and led a number of studies for a group of Fox Valley paper companies that helped inform the selection of Fox River sediment clean-up alternatives.
Throughout his career, Doug has worked at the interface of science and decision-making, helping to develop and communicate quantitative scientific information to inform water resources policy decisions. He regularly interacts with scientists and managers from multiple stakeholder groups on a range of water resources topics. He has published several peer-reviewed papers, written numerous reports, and given many presentations to scientists and decision-makers. He has served on science advisory panels of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board and state environmental agencies, and is currently a member of the Illinois Nutrient Science Advisory Committee charged with making recommendations regarding numeric nutrient water quality criteria for that state.
Doug is married to Jean (also a UWGB graduate). They are blessed by their faith, and by their three children and three grandchildren. Doug’s hobbies include nature and landscape photography, playing music, and being outdoors in all seasons.
Nomination Criteria:
- Has earned either an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from UW-Green Bay.
- Has not attended UW-Green Bay in the last 10 years.
- Must have a distinctive and distinguished record of achievement with recognition and reputation extending well beyond the immediate environment in which they live and work.
- The record of distinctive achievement should extend over a substantial period of time to assure continuity of performance, stability and maturity.
Nomination Process:
- Alumni, friends of the University, faculty/staff, and the public at large are invited to make nominations.
- Nominations are accepted year round (via the website or mail), with the deadline of October 31 for consideration for the award for the following year.
- Nominees are notified and asked to submit the following for their file:
- Letter of application
- Résumé
- Any additional documentation they wish to provide including letters of recommendation from others
- Recipients are required to attend the awards ceremony, which will be part of the annual EMBI Green Innovations Conference held during Earth Week.
- After all the necessary documents have been received, candidates remain active for consideration for a period of three years
- One award will be presented each year
Questions?
Contact the EMBI Director:
John Arendt at 920-465-2278 or arendtjo@uwgb.edu