Achieving Sustainability in Ukraine through Military Brownfields Redevelopment

Cezar Morar, Ph.D., Dept. of Geography, Tourism and Territorial Planning, University of Oradea, Romania

Dr. Cezar Morar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Tourism and Territorial Planning, at University of Oradea in Romania. He is interested in and have broad experience with sustainable development and reuse of potentially contaminated and abandoned sites, or "brownfields" as these sites are common to many countries in Europe and North America. Dr. Morar publishes frequently on the topic of tourism, brownfields, planning and sustainable development. He had the opportunity to work on a number of diverse international research and development projects in Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Canada, United States. Dr. Morar serves as a subject matter expert to evaluate project proposals submitted for funding under various programs financed by the European Union. In 2019 Dr. Morar conducted research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, under the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

Liudmyla Niemets, Ph.D., Director, Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies

V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Dr. Liudmyla Niemets is the head of the Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, has been employed at the university since 1984 and served as the Head since 2006. Dr. Liudmyla Niemets is a member of the Academic Council and numerous specialized committees. Dr. Niemets authored more than 330 publications, including ten books and 40 educational-methodical manuals on the theory of human geography, problems of sustainable development, applied and theoretical methodological issues of regional development, modern problems of geographical education. Dr. Niemets is the head of the specialized academic council K 64.051.23 for PhD theses defense on the specialty "Human Geography" of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. She is the Chair of the Editorial Board of the professional edition "Human Geography Journal" and a member of the editorial board of five leading professional publications in the field of Geographical Sciences. She is an organizer of the following two international scientific conferences: "Region: Optimal Development strategy" and "Region: Human-Geographical aspects". Dr. Niemets is regularly published in professional journals. Her main areas of expertise are in the field of human geography. She has performed numerous research projects successfully with funding from public and private sources. Dr. Niemets was awarded the V.N. Karazin Prize, III degree in 2009 and in 2013, and the V.N. Karazin's Medal for "Significant Progress in Improving the content and methods of educational process and significant contribution to scientific achievements" in 2013. She was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, III degree for significant contribution to socio-economic, scientific-technical, cultural and educational development of Ukraine, significant professional achievements and dedication to Ukrainian people in 2015.

Serap Erdal, Ph.D., School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Dr. Serap Erdal obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental and Occupational Health from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She is an Associate Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, where she has led a research program in exposure and health risk assessment for environmental and occupational hazards for over 20 years. In addition, she has served as a scientific consultant to many fortune 500 companies and U.S. Department of Defense and Energy. Her areas of expertise include: multi-media human exposure and risk assessment for cancer and non-cancer effects;health and safety evaluation of new chemicals or products; petroleum and alternative fuels; renewable energy sources; hazardous waste site multi-media (air, water, soil, sediment) investigation, remediation and risk management; Brownfields or Superfund site evaluation, redevelopment; sustainable (green) development; indoor and outdoor air pollution; aerosol science and technology, fine and nanoparticle exposure and risk assessment, nanotechnology health and safety evaluation, persistent organic chemicals (PCBs, PBDEs, Dioxins, Furans); lead other toxic metal exposure assessment and abatement; industrial hygiene; retrospective occupational exposure assessment; development of exposure assessment methodologies for epidemiological investigations; technical interpretation of environmental and occupational health and safety regulations (CAA, CWA, TSCA, CERCLA, OSHA); and regulatory science policy analysis. She is the founder of the Puget Sound Chapter and the Chicago Chapter of the Societyfor Risk Analysis. She is an expert in community-based participatory research and environmental justice. Her research has been funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the U.S. Center for Disease Control. She published extensively and presented her work in national and international conferences.

Laurel Berman, Ph.D., Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Community Health Investigations, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Dr. Laurel Berman is an Environmental Health Scientist with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Dr. Berman is the agency lead on land reuse and has coordinated the ATSDR National Land Reuse Health Program for over 15 years. One of the activities of the Land Reuse Program is the facilitation of the Brownfields & Land Reuse Opportunity Working Network (BROWN). This program integrates public health, environmental justice, and redevelopment, from the early planning stages. In 2015, Dr. Berman and Dr. Cezar Morar (University of Oradea, Romania) co-founded the U.S.-Eastern European Brownfields Working Group. The working group focuses on sharing and developing best practices related to brownfields redevelopment through the development of an international research collaboration. Dr. Berman holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health, with a focus on industrial hygiene and toxicology. Dr. Berman is an adjunct assistant professor in Environmental Health at UIC and at DePaul University, Chicago.