Plenary Speakers
Monday
Louis Fortier was trained at Laval and McGill Universities and a NATO postdoctoral fellow, Louis Fortier holds the Canada Research Chair on the Response of Arctic Marine Ecosystems to Climate Change at Université Laval. An indefatigable promoter of a multidisciplinary approach to the ecosystem-level concerns raised by the warming of the Arctic, he has directed the International North Water Polynya Study and the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study. He is the Project Leader for the Canadian Research Icebreaker Amundsen and the Scientific Director of ArcticNet, a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence dedicated to the study of the warming coastal Arctic.
Tuesday
Derek Muir is a Senior Research Scientist with Environment Canada’s National Water Research Institute. He directs an environmental chemistry laboratory involved in measurements of persistent organic contaminants and heavy metals in the aquatic and terrestrial environment from arctic and sub-arctic regions of Canada as well as in the North American Great Lakes. Derek’s research interests include the bioaccumulation and bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury in the aquatic environment under field and laboratory conditions with special emphasis on food chain transfer and exposure assessment of new, candidate POPs. Derek received the SETAC Founder’ Award, the highest scientific award of the Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry in 2000. He is listed among the top scientists cited in the field of Ecology and Environment.
Wednesday
Violaine Verougstraete will replace Hugo Waeterschoot as the Wednesday speaker.
Violaine Verougstraete studied medicine and toxicology at the Catholic University of Louvain, did a DEA in Public Health and obtained her PhD in Public Health in 2005 from the Catholic University of Louvain. From 1997 to 2005 she worked as a researcher at the Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Medicine Unit of the Catholic University of Louvain. She collaborated in the EU Risk Assessment « Cadmium and Cadmium Oxide » (human health part). From January 2002 to May 2005, she was a “guest expert” (“expert-invité”) for the Belgian Health Council (Human Toxicology and Exposure Sections). She also participated in several hazard evaluation projects, in EU projects (WOODEX, ACUTEX), and in epidemiological studies, in addition to acquiring a sound basic knowledge of statistics. Since May 2005, she has been working for Eurometaux as Health and Alloys Manager.
Thursday
Linda J. Fisher is vice president and chief sustainability officer. She has responsibility for advancing DuPont's progress in achieving sustainable growth; DuPont environmental and health programs; the company's product stewardship programs; and global regulatory affairs. She joined DuPont in June 2004. Prior to joining DuPont, Ms. Fisher has served in a number of key leadership positions in government and industry including: Deputy Administrator of EPA; EPA Assistant Administrator - Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances; EPA Assistant Administrator - Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation; and Chief of Staff to the EPA Administrator. Fisher, an attorney, was also Vice President of Government Affairs for Monsanto and was "Of Counsel" with the law firm, Latham & Watkins. Ms. Fisher received a law degree from Ohio State University, a Master's of Business Administration from George Washington University and a B.A. from Miami University. She is a member of the DuPont Health Advisory Board, the DuPont Biotechnology Advisory Panel and serves as liaison to the Environmental Policy Committee of the DuPont Board of Directors. Ms. Fisher serves on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute, on the Board of Trustees of The National Parks Foundation, and on the Board of Directors of RESOLVE.
