ESP Biography



AMY NELSON, Professional Environmental Scientist, Generalist



Major: Environmental science /forestry

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2001

Picture of Amy Nelson

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Amy has worked for over 20 years in the environmental science field as an ecological risk assessor, working for environmental engineering firms. She graduated from UNH with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. Her professional work focuses on remediation of contaminated sediment sites both local to Boston and nationwide. She also works with a cross section o academia, industry and agency as part of the North Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (NAC SETAC).

Outside of her career, Amy enjoys acting (both in community theater and in film/TV), writing (from puns and parodies to original plays) and nature photography.

She considers herself a consummate generalist and seeks out how to cross-pollinate all aspects of life.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S15425: Three Key Things to Know about Your Environment in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
Environmental Science is a broad topic, sometimes overwhelming to wrap your mind around. So let's start with a manageable amount of information. This course will cover three key topics that high school graduates should know; for potential careers; and for personal health and well being. The information discussed will draw from your instructor's 20 years experience in environmental risk assessment conducted for engineering firms working on contaminated sediment sites, with focus on the following: 1. What’s PFAS and why is it important? a. This "emerging" contaminant has definitely emerged. 2. Everything in Moderation, Yes, even Moderation a. this will include a brief introduction to toxicology and the importance of "dose". 3. It's gotten better. No really, it has, keep going! a. Sometimes, it is difficult to see the good through all of the environmental issues in the world. We will look at examples of success stories in environmental improvements to keep us motivated. And discuss resources for finding out more information related to your community and your academic interests.