David Cwiertny is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Iowa (UI). He holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering Science with a minor in Chemistry from U.C. Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. David’s research integrates aspects of environmental engineering with chemistry, toxicology, materials science and nanotechnology. David is also passionate about the intersection of science and policy, and spent his sabbatical during the 2016 academic year working as a Congressional Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Beyond his roles in CEE at UI, he also currently serves as the Director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) at UI. CHEEC is a State-funded research center that conducts and supports research associated with understanding and mitigating adverse health outcomes of environmental toxins.