As Advocacy Manager with Public Lab, Gilbert will be engaged in implementing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) grant to expand empowerment to communities impacted by environmental injustices in New Orleans, LA, Gulfport, MS, Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL, through access to affordable environmental monitoring and analytical technologies. Gilbert also serves as Senior Consultant with MSF Global Solutions, LLC, a technology firm based in New Orleans, for which he recently presented on Pan-African Disaster Resilience at the African Association for Remote Sensing of Environment Conference in Kampala, Uganda. Gilbert’s previous academic experience includes service as the 6th President of Tuskegee University, as Associate Vice President for Collaborative Research & Engagement at Purdue University, where he directed the Purdue Terrestrial Observatory, and as Director of the Urban Studies & Public Policy Institute at Dillard University, where he was appointed a Conrad Hilton Endowed Professor. Gilbert’s federal government experience includes assignments with the US EPA National Risk Management Research Lab’s Sustainable Technologies Division, Naval Oceanographic Office, NASA Stennis Space Center and USDA Forest Service. Gilbert recently completed his assignment as NATO country Project Director (NPD) for the Mediterranean Dialogue Earth Observatory, which is now based in Morocco to support early warning and mitigation of biogenic and anthropogenic disasters, including vector-borne epidemics. Gilbert received the Ph.D. in Urban & Regional Planning from MIT, the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Yale University and the B.A. from Xavier University of Louisiana.
In addition to testing for pH, what other water quality testing have you utilized, such as turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), etc.? Can you share your experience with these?
Have you encountered either success and/or problems utilizing water quality sensors? If so, can you share your specific experience?
Have you observed environmental or public health deregulation activity within your State's government? If so, can you share the details, as well as what community advocacy has occurred, if any, to challenge such deregulation?
Are you aware of local impacts on your community of federal deregulation of environmental and/or public health laws? If so, can you specify which deregulation and the local impact they are having?
Can you share details on any recent changes in environmental regulations or court rulings, particularly as relates to water quality, in the State where you reside?
What water quality issues have recently emerged in your region, i.e. "boil water alerts," "swimming ban," "no fishing advisories," "water-borne disease outbreaks," "industrial spills," "contaminated flooding," "unusual water taste, color or smell"?