The Wheel for October 4, 2018

by Oct 4, 2018The Wheel0 comments

Listen to Dr. Ron Tjeerdema – The Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

The Wheel


Dr. Ron Tjeerdema – The Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

Ron Tjeerdema
Associate Dean, Environmental Sciences
Distinguished Professor, Environmental Toxicology

Ron Tjeerdema completed B.S. degrees in both natural resource planning and interpretation, and wildlife management from Humboldt State University in 1980, and an M.A. in pharmacology from UC Santa Barbara in 1983. He then came to UC Davis, where he completed his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology, with an emphasis in environmental toxicology, in 1987. He has been certified in General Toxicology by the American Board of Toxicology since 1994.

Ron then moved to UC Santa Cruz, where he served as a professor of environmental toxicology in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 1999, he was invited to return to UC Davis and is now a distinguished professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology; for nearly a dozen years he also served as department chair. In 2014, Ron was named Associate Dean for Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and also currently holds the Donald G. Crosby Endowed Chair in Environmental Chemistry.

With a focus on marine and freshwater systems, Ron’s areas of expertise range from chemical fate in the environment, sensitive life stage bioassays and biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, and he has worked extensively with pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, dispersants and marine algal toxins. In over 30 years in the field of environmental toxicology, he has pioneered the new field of environmental metabolomics via the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, and his research on oil spills and dispersants resulted in the development of widely-used standardized methods for toxicity assessment. Ron is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response. He has also served on a number of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration panels advising on the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath and has provided testimony to Congressional and legislative committees on dispersant use and toxicology. Ron currently serves as co-editor-in-chief of the flagship journal Aquatic Toxicology and is on the editorial boards of Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Marine Pollution Bulletin and Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Message From The President

On October 1, 2018, Stephen Paddock (“Paddock”) murdered 58 innocent people and injured more than 500 others who were attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert. The concert was held across the street from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Paddock prepared for the massacre for several days by bringing 23 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition into his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay. The hotel room overlooked the concert site. Paddock had rifles that were outfitted with bump-stocks, a modification that allowed him to fire the rifles like machine guns. Paddock perpetrated the worst shooting in modern history. To this date, authorities have not been able to attribute a motive to Paddock’s actions. Paddock was evil incarnate.

I remember waking up on October 2, 2017, and being in utter shock and disbelief that something so horrible had happened in our city. Sadly, it was not the first, nor was it the last of these senseless acts. Since August 1, 1966, there have been 155 mass shootings in the United States in which four or more people were killed by a shooter (not counting gang violence and robberies). 1,107 people have been killed in mass shootings and unfortunately, that number is certain to increase. The script remains the same with only the location of the shootings changing.

As we remember the massacre victims we need to ask ourselves how we got to this point of monthly mass shootings and how can we as Rotarians help to fix this problem with our society.

James A. Kohl

Member Highlights

Scribe – September 27, 2018

Las Vegas Rotary Club Meeting:  September 27, 2018

  • President Jim Kohl called the meeting to order.
  • Blake Meyer gave the invocation.  Arleen Sirois led the club in singing “God Bless America.” The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the Sergeant-at-Arms was Jennifer Lier.
  • There were no International Rotarians, (2) Visiting Rotarians, and (8) Guest of Rotarians that were introduced.
  • Melanie Muldowney presented a check for $1,000 to Mike Cudiamat to be used towards a medical mission in the Philippines.
  • Jennifer Lier made the following announcements:
    • The Cigar Social will be at Past President Tom Krob’s home on October 5, 2018
    • Please take a donation can for the annual canned food drive with the Kiwanis. All donations must be in before November 21, 2018.
    • The UNLV Tailgate Party is on October 19, 2018, at 5 pm.
  • The Las Vegas Rotary Foundation Raffle drawing was conducted and Corey Fagon won the $10,000!
  • Guest Speaker, Patrick Miller, President and COO of Park MGM acknowledge his experience as a teen at RYLA. He introduced Elizabeth Harlow, who gave the club an overview of the newly rebranded property. They are focused on intimacy and scale to create inspiration as a souvenir. Their target market is the “Iconoclast” or “Creatives.” They want to create an environment that is romantic, intrepid and alive. Patrick encouraged the members if you know any Park MGM employees, please offer them congratulations for operating the resort while under construction. It was a difficult challenge. They both welcome everyone to come to see the property as it has changed drastically with newly renovated sleeping rooms, lobby, and restaurants.
  • President Jim Kohl presented the speaker with a “Share What You Can” award to benefit a veteran in need and adjourned the meeting.


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