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Kate McDaniel - Shaping Stewards and Protectors: A Mix of Talents
(November, 2003) This is a story about exemplary outcomes of living and of doing science. Just a country girl at heart, as they say, she says she is. Growing up on a farm, she learned how important the land was. She and her family would walk the fields on Sunday afternoon and admire what had been accomplished the week before in spite of the drought or the flooding. As a child, she wondered: how could the crops continue to grow with the harshness of unpredictable weather; and what was going on in that sandy soil that enticed the plants to hang on so strongly? She knew, of course, that some crops would be damaged heavily in one way or another and that the family would gather less corn to harvest for seed and to feed the animals. Also, she knew there would be less cotton and peanuts to be sold on the market to pay the bills. Sometimes the corn crop would somehow make up part of the loss.She thinks that perhaps a fascination and curiosity with what was going on at the soil level may have led to a deep want to find out more. She felt that if the family just knew the secrets of the system and why things happened as they do with Nature, they could prevent the losses. She knew early-on that working with Nature was fascinating-but also a risk.
The oldest of six children, her first year in high school, her father asked that she drop out to help with the farming. By all measures conceivable, she was devastated; but the way of life of the family meant sticking together. Her mother insisted that it would be for only one year, and encouraged her throughout her childhood, ". . .to stay the course and pursue an education no matter what obstacles might be thrown at her." Undaunted and inspired, she was able, nonetheless, to secure all the text books she needed and she studied on her own in the wee hours of the night. Characteristically, she passed all the exams-she found Shakespeare most difficult-and she continued into the next grade and finished high school on time with all her classmates. This taught her perseverance, patience, a good work ethic, coordination of family and farm activities and appreciation of the environment of farm life. During that year out, at times, she did become resentful; and, at other times she was determined to leave the farm one day to learn how to make farming easier and to teach others. For her it was such a simplistic-but, as we shall see an achievable-dream.
This 'Alice', now in the research and development Wonderland at the National Exposure Research Laboratory's Ecosystems Research Division (ERD) in Athens, Georgia, is Analytical Chemist Kate McDaniel. Currently, she is Manager of the ERD's Environmental Science Education Program. The Ecosystems Research Division conducts process, modeling, and field research to assess the exposure risks that humans and ecosystems face from chemical and non-chemical stressors. That research provides data, modeling tools and technical support to EPA's National Program and Regional Offices, state and local governments, and other customers. ERD research includes studies of the behavior of contaminants, nutrients, and wildlife in ecological systems, and the development of mathematical models to assess the response of aquatic systems, watersheds and landscapes to stresses from both natural and anthropogenic sources. In this research context, the Environmental Science Education Program coordinated by McDaniel is but one of a variety of educational opportunities that have been established at the Athens laboratory to assure wider understanding of ERD research findings. Its activities range from tours of research laboratories, to talks by scientists explaining the value of their work, to specialized hands-on classroom presentations such as the Learning Stations in the Action Center for Environmental Learning (ACEL) sessions. The Environmental Science Education Program works closely with the Agency's researchers in advancing and supporting knowledge-based efforts that develop an environmentally conscious and responsible public.
McDaniel graduated from Georgia's Berry College with a dual degree in chemistry and mathematics. While her first semesters in college focused on art, in her sophomore year she discovered that there was a shortage of chemists in the work force-in particular, women chemists. She switched her major from art to science. Following graduation she landed a job at Emory University where she worked on determining nitrogen uptake in the kidneys of rats fed special diets. McDaniel thought initially that this first job was far removed from her early desires to study the workings of the soil. But, she soon "connected-the-dots"-diet, food, soil-and knew likely there was a connection! This led her to doing work in analytical chemistry for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After about 5 years working in the cholesterol lab, she trained 5 chemists in lipid methodology. After that teaching experience, she developed an international program-for the standardization of cholesterol analysis-now certified for use by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. That activity called for interaction, spanning a 4-year period, with 65 clinical laboratories worldwide. The work funded by the American Clinical Pathologists Association, led to publication (with co-author Dr. Gerald Cooper) of a manual for the analytical comparison of seven cholesterol analytical methods. While at the CDC, she matched philosophies about the scientific world often with valued co-worker Mary Ann MaHaffey, a Microbiologist. McDaniel and MaHaffey helped each other give direction to their chosen scientific career paths. She then devoted fourteen years with her husband to raising her two children. Her grandchildren, now live in South Dakota.
Lured back to federal service at the Athens, Georgia, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research Laboratory in 1985, she worked with Dr. Sam Karickoff, a Research Chemist on the SPARC Predicts Automated Reasoning in Chemistry (SPARC) project. SPARC, an artificial intelligence model for predicting the reaction of chemicals in the environment enabled her to be part of a dynamic team that used such tools as the Prolog computer language, artificial intelligence theory, and fundamental spectral data to create a cost effective predictive model for the Agency. After a few years-with what she describes as the unyielding support and encouragement of Dr. Rosemarie Russo, Director of the ERD-she conceptualized and created the ERD's program in Environmental Science Education. She credits the program with giving her the opportunity to appropriately translate the findings of research conducted both at NERL's ERD and at the Agency's National Program Offices into practical language, and understandable visualizations and physical models targeted primarily at student audiences.
McDaniel points to a 1990 Roper Survey-commissioned by EPA-to determine the environmental literacy of the American public. The survey's findings indicated that knowledge of the Agency's mission and regulatory responsibilities was almost nil. It indicated that the lay public had about a 5th grade level of understanding of general information about the surroundings in which they lived. That information was an eye opener for McDaniel. At that time, during the tenure of William Reilly as EPA Administrator, the first President Bush wanted to be known as the Environmental President; and together with Congress, an environmental education debate began. That debate led to passage of the Environmental Education Act. The Act mandated that the EPA engage, according to McDaniel, in an all out effort to educate the public about environmental issues and opportunities. This led to creation of an Office of Environmental Education (OEE) at EPA with funding divided among OEE, the 10 EPA Regions, and a Foundation focused on providing small environmental education grants.
To assist in OEE's organization, McDaniel undertook a detail that would enhance her skills in the area and help make ORD a significant player in the effort to increase the environmental literacy of citizens. Getting an educational effort established within an organization with the overall goal of high quality scientific research was by no means easy. Also, she worked aggressively to supplement her chemistry background by expanding her environmental science knowledge by taking courses in ecology, hydrology, microbiology, soil chemistry and community health at the University of Georgia. She credits this added education with "giving her a broader, holistic view of the environment." Following her detail, McDaniel returned to the ERD in Athens with a proposal to Rosemarie Russo to champion an Environmental Sciences Education effort. Russo found merit in the proposal and has been an enthusiastic supporter since. With the ESE Program, McDaniel believes she has found her niche; and that the "dots" of her training and interests-soil, farming, food, diet, human health, healthy environment, children, teaching, environmental science-have all come together. With it, she says, "I teach, write, create curricula with artistic and meaningful visuals and graphs, and coordinate projects that bring the community together especially at the K-16 level-all focused on the science-based elements of environmental education." McDaniel embodies a mix of talents directed at "closing-the-circle-of-science", from concept to education to communication.
After nearly 30 years of Federal service, McDaniel says, "The Agency has come a long way in the improvement of the environment since its creation in 1970. At times, the science behind the regulations and environmental protection jumped ahead of the public's level of understanding. The attitude of the average citizen toward the Agency went from negative to the extreme environmentalism. Environmental education is slowly bringing the public to a middle ground. We still have much work to do but if we can inform the public, and that includes the up-coming generations, to understand the fundamental sound science behind all our actions, we will one day have a citizenry that can practice reasonable stewardship of our surroundings."
The Office of Research and Development is committed to showing the difference the important work its scientists and engineers are making in peoples lives. We welcome your reaction to-and any comments on-this "Spotlight" feature article; please send them to draggan.sidney@epa.gov.