Spring 2009
Member Profile
The Water-Quality Expert
Shares our desire for science-based policies
Robin Silva-Wilkinson knows water. As the manager of a national program funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), she helps monitors every major drinking water system in the country—so the odds are good that she could tell you the specific names and levels of contaminants that might be present in the water you drink, no matter where you live. She is also a principal research scientist and senior program manager for the Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC) in Traverse City, MI, where she works with local associations and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to protect the region’s many lakes against contamination by pesticides and other chemicals.
Robin has been studying water quality for 20 years, for industry and government clients alike. Working for both “regulators and the regulated,” as she describes it, provides her with a unique appreciation for the critical role that science plays in decisions that affect our lives and the environment.
It is no surprise, then, that Robin feels a deep connection with UCS and our efforts to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. She first heard about our reputation and effectiveness from her EPA colleagues, and has been a member of our leadership giving group, the Henry Kendall Society, since joining UCS in December 2007. She admits this is a major financial commitment for her, but feels it is an important investment: “It can be overwhelming and sometimes frustrating to try and affect change as an individual. But being a part of UCS with thousands of other members makes a difference.”
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