Linda A. McCauley, RN, PhD, FAAN, FAAOHN and Dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has been included in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) appointment of 28 members to the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC). One of 20 new members and eight returning members, McCauley was selected from more than 60 highly-qualified candidates across the country to serve a three-year term.

“It is an honor to be recognized among the incredible researchers, academicians, health care providers and members of the public whose work protects our next generation,” said McCauley. Her ongoing research on environmental and occupational health hazards in vulnerable populations has resulted in more than 80 publications, ongoing consultations, and testimonies to governmental oversight bodies.

McCauley is a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Sigma Theta Tau Honorary Nursing Society, the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association and the Institute of Medicine, and aims to identify culturally appropriate interventions to decrease the environmental impact on workers and young children. Her many awards and recognition for work in the reduction of health hazards set her apart to be among the qualified appointees.

The CHPAC is a body of external volunteers across disciplines who advise the EPA on regulations, research and communications related to children’s health. Advising on topics such as air and water pollution regulations, chemical safety programs, risk assessment policies and research, members meet two to three times per year to provide specific recommendations to the EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler.

To ensure that the CHPAC represents all 10 EPA regions and a variety of communities across the country, members are selected from a cross-section of stakeholder perspectives including research, academia, healthcare, legal, state, environmental organizations, and local and tribal governments. New members have been selected from 19 U.S. states and territories, including Washington D.C, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.

Learn more about CHPAC and its work on wide ranging environmental issues that affect the health of children here, or read the current CHPAC charter here.