Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the West Virginia Water Resources Institute at West Virginia University, has been appointed to the board of directors of The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy based in Annapolis, Md.
The Annapolis Center is a national, non-profit educational organization that supports and promotes responsible energy, environmental, health and safety policy-making through the use of sound science. Founded by scientists, former policy-makers and economists, the Center is committed to ensuring that public policy decisions are based on scientific facts and reasoning.
Since 1978, Dr. Ziemkiewicz has been involved with organizing, directing and conducting mine reclamation and other energy and environmental research programs. His current focus is on acid mine drainage research and technology transfer programs relating to the coal and power generation industries.
We are fortunate to have someone with the background and experience of Dr. Ziemkiewicz join us, particularly because of his dedicated scientific approach to finding solutions for environmental concerns in our nation and world,said Dr. Harold M. Koenig, president and chairman of the board of The Annapolis Center.
In addition to his research roles, Ziemkiewicz has served in a regulatory capacity
with several government agencies. He has developed regulatory and R&D policy and he currently serves on both state and federal policy advisory committees focusing on reclamation and acid mine drainage as well as providing technical support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toward developing new regulatory guidance for the use of coal combustion wastes in coal mines.
Ziemkiewicz is recognized internationally as an expert in his field and has authored or co-authored nearly 80 journals, books, technical papers and other publications on mine reclamation, use of coal combustion products, water issues, research and technical advances, among others.
He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards; his professional affiliations include Xi Sigma Pi, Sigma Xi, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Executive Committee, American Society for Surface Mine Reclamation. A native of Pittsburgh, Ziemkiewicz, his wife and three children reside in Morgantown.