Event Date
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
Featuring alumna Keara Tuso
About Keara:
A local Californian, Keara has always been passionate about the ocean and the environment. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from UCLA in 2017, during which she worked at Heal the Bay, teaching at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and conducting ocean water quality assessments. After graduation, Keara taught science and literature full-time before moving to Davis in 2018 to attend the EPM program. During her time in the EPM program, Keara worked on a graduate research project with the Arboretum, establishing a community science project to assess water quality. She also worked for the Putah Creek Council as a Waterway Steward and educator. For her policy clinic project, Keara and her team worked alongside the Delta Stewardship Council to identify regions susceptible to heat vulnerability, culminating in a presentation of their findings in Sacramento.
Since graduation from the EPM program in 2019, Keara has worked in the ocean policy sector in Sacramento. She worked full-time for an environmental lobbying firm, representing groups such as Heal the Bay, Surfrider, and 5 Gyres. Shortly after, Keara became a 2020 California Sea Grant Fellow, where she was placed at the State Water Board in their Ocean Standards Unit. Post-fellowship, Keara has been working as an Environmental Scientist for the State Water Board, leading the 2020-2022 California Integrated Report public process and focusing her efforts on ocean acidification and water quality analysis for shellfish and bacteria. She is also an appointed Commissioner for the City of Davis' Natural Resources Commission.
About the Seminar:
Keara will be discussing what the California Integrated Report is and how the public process is administered, from public comment to EPA approval. The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that California report on the quality of its surface waters every two years. Known as the California Integrated Report, it is the result of a collaborative process between the State and Regional Water Boards. California surface waters are assessed to determine if they contain pollutants at levels that exceed protective water quality standards. The two major components of the Integrated Report are the 305(b) condition report and the 303(d) list of impaired waters. These reports help determine which water bodies will need intervention and potential TMDL development.
Zoom link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/96148004739?pwd=U3JOaVNCU0MxOUlKek9YRjN6bnlmQT09
Meeting ID: 961 4800 4739
Passcode: EPM
This seminar is free and open to the public.