UI Experts

The University of Iowa has several experts who can speak about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

NEW SEVERE WEATHER PHOBIA: John Westefeld, Ph.D., counseling psychology professor in the University of Iowa College of Education. One of Dr. Westefeld's interests is severe weather phobia, focusing on phobia related specifically to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. He has written several articles on the subject and has provided his expertise to a Website dedicated to helping people with severe weather phobias, http://www.stormphobia.org/. Westefeld may be reached at 319 335 5562, or by email at john-westefeld@uiowa.edu

WATER QUALITY -- Jerald Schnoor, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering, professor of occupational and environmental health, faculty affiliate at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, and co-director of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, is an expert in water quality, groundwater contamination and hazardous waste remediation. Schnoor is editor of the leading journal of its kind, Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T). He was recently named one of three co-directors of a project office to plan a proposed $350 million National Science Foundation (NSF) national environmental observatory. The center is called CLEANER: the Collaborative Large-scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research. Schnoor, a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, has testified numerous times before Congress and was recently interviewed on the subject of Hurricane Katrina by The New York Times and The Washington Post. He can be reached at jerald-schnoor@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-5649. NEWS CONTACT: Gary Galluzzo, UI science and engineering writer, (319) 384-0009.

ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS -- Keri Hornbuckle, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering, faculty affiliate at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, and researcher in the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, is an expert in the cycling of organic contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Her current research interests includes the source and fate of consumer products in natural systems. In 2004 she reported finding chemical ingredients used to coat cookware, furniture and other consumer products in water samples taken from the Great Lakes. She can contacted at keri-hornbuckle@uiowa.eduor (319) 384-0789. NEWS CONTACT: Gary Galluzzo, UI science and engineering writer, (319) 384-0009.

BIOLOGICAL RISK -- Tim Mattes, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering and researcher in the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, is an expert in environmental microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and biological risk. He can be contacted at tim-mattes@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-5065. NEWS CONTACT: Gary Galluzzo, UI science and engineering writer, (319) 384-0009.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE IN DISASTERS: Eric Dickson, M.D., associate professor and head of the UI Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Dickson began his medical career as an army combat medic, and he served as medical director for several police SWAT teams and fire departments in central Massachusetts prior to coming to Iowa in 2003. He can provide perspective on emergency medicine in disaster situations. Contact him at eric-dickson@uiowa.edu or (319) 356-2672

PATHOGENS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Mary Gilchrist, director of the University Hygienic Laboratory. Gilchrist leads the state's environmental and public health laboratory. She can discuss waterborne pathogens and other infectious risks to human health. According to Dr. Gilchrist, "Consumption of contaminated food or water can lead to diseases due to more common infectious agents like E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella and more unusual diseases like cholera. Skin exposure to contaminated water can lead to other diseases like leptospirosis. And standing water can amplify mosquitoes, encouraging increases in mosquito borne diseases like West Nile Virus." Contact her at mary-gilchrist@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-4500.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND EPIDEMIOLOGY: Dan Diekema, associate professor of internal medicine. Dr. Diekema is a specialist in infectious diseases and epidemiology. He notes that the major infectious risks for those in the hurricane-affected areas are diseases that are transmitted by contaminated water and the absence of sewage treatment. These include common bacterial and viral causes of diarrheal disease – such as E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Vibrio vulnificus and norovirus – leptospirosis, cryptosporidiosis, bacterial skin and soft-tissue infections, hepatitis A virus, and others. Mosquito transmitted diseases are also possible, including West Nile Virus, he added. "Large outbreaks due to diseases not commonly seen in the affected area – for example, cholera, yellow fever and malaria – are much less likely, but CDC has epidemiology teams on site to monitor for all types of outbreaks that may be encountered in the area," he says. Dr. Diekema may be reached at 319-384-7281 or by e-mail at daniel-diekema@uiowa.edu.

For other questions, contact one of the following people in University News Services:

Gary Galluzzo
Writer, engineering and natural sciences
gary-galluzzo@uiowa.edu
(319) 384-0009

Linda Kettner
UNS Director
linda-kettner@uiowa.edu
(319) 384-0030

Stephen Pradarelli
UNS Assistant Director
stephen-pradarelli@uiowa.edu
(319) 384-0007