About the Author

Dr. Joanna Burger is Distinguished Professor of  Biology at Rutgers University, where she has taught, conducted research and advised graduate students for over 30 years. Her major  research interests are ecological and environmental studies that are informed, directed, and in some cases, involve collaborations with stakeholders to solve contentious environmental problems. Her research areas include 1) ecotoxicology and ecological risk, 2) biomonitoring, 3) developmental effects of heavy metals on birds and other vertebrates, 4) fishing, fish consumption and risk, 5) stakeholder perceptions and attitudes about environmental issues, and 6) social behavior of vertebrates. For the past 13 years she has been the Director of the Ecological Health Center for CRESP (Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation), a Department of Energy University Consortium that has addressed human health, environmental health, remediation/restoration, monitoring and surveillance, and stewardship issues for the Department of Energy. She has served on many national and international committees, including the NAS/NRC Board on Biology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, and several committees, SCOPE (the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment), and advisory committees for NOAA, EPA,DOE, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. She is a Fellow in the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and in the American Ornithologist’s Union, a member of the Committee of 100 for the International Ornithological Congress, and has served as President and several other offices for scientific societies. She has edited or written 18 books, and published over 300 peer-reviewed papers.