Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason, a renowned researcher in the area of plastic pollution in freshwater systems, will speak at the Annual Gala of the Conewango Creek Watershed Association (CCWA) and the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, A Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate, on October 12, 2021. This Gala will be held via Zoom due to COVID-19. Please pre-register on the CCWA website at www.conewangocreek.org. The link to participate will be emailed to you. The meeting begins at 6pm and ends at 8pm. Part of the meeting is a member business meeting followed by a presentation by Dr. Sherri Mason. All are welcome to attend; however, attendance is limited to 100 so sign up early.
Dr. Mason earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her doctorate in Chemistry at the University of Montana as a NASA Earth System Science scholar. While a Professor of Chemistry at SUNY Fredonia, her research group was among the first to study the prevalence and impact of microplastic pollution within freshwater ecosystems.
Featured in hundreds of mass media articles including the BBC, The Guardian, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and Studio A1, her work formed the basis for the Microbeads-Free Water Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in December 2015. Similar legislation has been approved or is being considered at various locations internationally. Among her accolades Dr. Mason has been awarded:
- EPA Environmental Champion in 2016;
- Excellence in Environmental Research by the Earth Month Network in 2017;
- Heinz Award in Public Policy in 2018
She has recently moved into a new role as Sustainability Coordinator at Penn State Behrend, near Erie, PA.
The CCWA and CCC are very excited to have Dr. Mason as our guest speaker for the annual Gala, to share her expertise and having lived and worked in our region. She knows Chautauqua Lake up close and personal because she swam its entire length. She intends to do so again in the coming year. Please join us in learning more from an expert in her field who loves this beautiful watershed too.