Who We Are
We are an independent, multidisciplinary group of professionals that care deeply about water quality, the environment and public health. We have a broad range of expertise, with backgrounds in water treatment, epidemiology, toxicology, public health, and risk analysis.
Our Members
Michael Deane (Board Chair)
Former Executive Director, National Association of Water Companies
Joseph Cotruvo
President, Joseph Cotruvo & Associates
Joseph Cotruvo served as the Director of the EPA Drinking Water Standards Division from 1976- 1990. He was also the Vice President for Environmental Health Sciences, NSF International and a member of the Board of Directors for the DC Water and Sewer Authority. He is currently the President of Joseph Cotruvo & Associates and is active international water quality and health business. His specialties include water quality and risk assessment, water treatment technology, product development, water chemistry, regulatory policy, desalination, and nutrients in water. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Ohio State University.
Joyce Dinglasan-Panlilio
Division Chair and Associate Professor in Environmental Chemistry at University of Washington-Tacoma
Dr. Joyce Dinglasan-Panlilio joined the UW Tacoma faculty in 2007. She is on the state of Washington Department of Ecology advisory board for PFAS. As an environmental organic chemist, her research focuses on investigating sources, transport and fate of emerging organic contaminants in the environment. She has pioneered studies and published articles on various indirect sources of perfluorinated chemicals to the environment. These are chemicals used in the manufacture of the non-stick polymer Teflon and related compounds. Environmental monitoring of emerging contaminants such as chemicals used in personal care products (PCPs) around the Puget Sound region is also an active area of her research. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Toronto.
David H. Garabrant
Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan
Dr. Garabrant is a physician who has conducted research in occupational and environmental epidemiology for the past 25 years. He is board certified in internal medicine, occupational medicine, and preventive medicine. Since joining the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1988, he has served as Director of the Occupational Medicine Program, Director of the Occupational Health Program, Director of the Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, and Director of the Cancer Prevention Training Program. Currently he directs the curriculum in occupational and environmental epidemiology and is the Director of the Center for Risk Science and Communication. He holds an M.S. in Physiology and an M.P.H. from Harvard University, and an M.D. from Tufts University.
Rob Renner
Former Chief Executive Officer at Water Research Foundation
Rob Renner led the Water Research Foundation from 2005- February 2019. Under Renner’s leadership, the legacy Water Research Foundation successfully transitioned from primarily a drinking water organization to focusing on the entire water sector, and then the integration with WE&RF. Prior to joining WRF, Robert was the Executive Director of the International Society of Automation and served as Deputy Executive Director of the American Water Works Association. He has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant optimizing water treatment plant performance. He holds a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in sanitary engineering from South Dakota State University.
Kathryn Sorensen
Director, Phoenix Water Services
Kathryn Sorensen is currently the Director of Research at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. As Director of Phoenix Water Services until October 2020, she was responsible for the reliable delivery of safe, clean drinking water in a desert city of nearly 1.7 million inhabitants. She previously served in the City of Mesa as a water resource manager. Kathryn earned a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan. In her position at Arizona State University, she oversees the research efforts of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, teaches Arizona Water Policy for the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, and contributes to the Global Futures Laboratory.