Meet EPA Environmental Engineer Meridith Fry, Ph.D.

Meridith Fry works on developing resources and methods for evaluating the impacts of extreme climate events on contaminated sites and communities. She is currently developing a suite of nationwide geospatial indicators for the EPA regional offices and the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) programs to use in the national climate hazard screening tool, which is under development. These indicators will be used for identifying areas that may be most affected by future extreme climate events, including floods, droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires. Dr. Fry also works with EPA regional partners in the Brownfields program on developing indicators for prioritizing Brownfields redevelopments.

**Tell us about your background. **

I am an environmental engineer with a broad background in environmental science, public health, global climate change, public policy, and chemical transport modeling. I have used my education and experience to study environmental problems ranging from cleaning up contaminated groundwater sites to conducting global-scale atmospheric chemical transport modeling.

**When did you first know you wanted to work in environmental science? **

When I was in high school, I was in the Global Ecology Studies program at Poolesville High School in Maryland. At the time, we were a small magnet program housed in a small rural community school. One benefit of this was that students passionate about certain issues could easily start new student groups/clubs. With the support of teachers and friends, we started an outdoor adventure club and an environmental school newsletter called Environmental Outlook. One of my favorite memories was going to the Delaware Bay to save horseshoe crabs (by flipping overturned crabs back over, so they could make their way back to the sea). I had many other experiences like this that solidified my interests in environmental sciences and engineering.

**What do you like most about your job? **

I love collaborating with the EPA programs, EPA regions, states, and internationally. I enjoy problem solving and finding new transdisciplinary approaches to address environmental problems.

**How does EPA science matter? **

As public servants, we are conducting scientific research to serve our country. We are furthering the science and doing the necessary research to solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

**If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing? **

I would be a children’s book author. I would recruit my mother, an accomplished artist, to be the illustrator.

What advice would you give a student interested in a career in science?

Explore the latest scientific issues (read a lot). Think about the successes and failures. Strive to see the interconnection between people, places, things, and the environment.

**If you can have any superpower, what would you choose? **

Controlling the weather.

**What do you think the coolest scientific discovery was and why? **

Outer space – this changed our whole perspective on the universe and our planet Earth.

**If you could have dinner with any scientist, past or present, who would you choose and what would you talk about? **

Rachel Carson – I have always been impressed by her discoveries and how she communicated the science. I would love to talk about how her work has inspired so much of EPA’s mission.

**What do you think is our biggest scientific challenge in the next 20/50/100 years? **

The legacy of chemicals and waste in the environment.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the researcher alone. EPA does not endorse the opinions or positions expressed.

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