Rachel Schaffer, PhD, US Environmental Protection Agency
Green, Safer, and Sustainable Chemistry: Opportunities to Advance Environmental Health in the Federal Government
The Department of Chemistry Presents: Dr. Rachel Shaffer, US EPA
Dr. Schaffer has served on the EPA as Epidemologist and Toxicologist as well The White House as Senior Advisor for Chemical Safety, Council on Environmental Quality and will discuss Green Chemistry & Environmental Health: Opportunities in the Federal Government.
This presentation will provide an introduction to chemical assessments at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); discuss opportunities at the intersection of green chemistry and environmental health; showcase key tools and resources at the EPA; and provide an opportunity for Q&A around career paths.
BIO
Dr. Rachel M. Shaffer is an Epidemiologist in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development, where she works on human health assessments of toxic chemicals. Dr. Shaffer has a broad background in environmental health sciences, with graduate training spanning experimental toxicology and human epidemiological research as well as experience in science policy and risk assessment from her work at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). She has published on diverse topics, including air pollution, glyphosate, and food additives. Dr. Shaffer completed her MPH and PhD at the University of Washington-Seattle School of Public Health. She also holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale University.
- Epidemiologist, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2022-Present)
- Senior Advisor for Chemical Safety, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (2023-2024)
- Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington-Seattle (2022-Present)
- Toxicologist, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2020-2022)
- Consultant, Health Program, Environmental Defense Fund (2019-2020)
- Intern, Hazardous Waste Management Program, Seattle/King County Public Health Dept (2018-2020)
PhD, Environmental Toxicology, University of Washington-Seattle (2020)
MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Washington-Seattle (2018)
BA, Environmental Studies, Yale University (2012)