Speaking of Design Ep. 25: Working in the Right Environment

When your project calls for environmental solutions, this team has you covered. Based out of Nanuet, New York, this group of biologists, environmental scientists and technicians operates out of a modern, state-of-the-art facility with everything you need to design and execute your customized environmental study. That includes a fleet of survey vessels, a fabrication shop to design original equipment for the job, and a taxonomy and water quality lab to analyze samples collected in the field. Behind all that equipment and technology is a team passionate about the environment.

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Dave Davis leads a team that spans several specialized disciplines in his role as New York/New Jersey cross sector manager. As a senior project manager and biologist with a master’s degree in science and environmental journalism, Dave offers a unique ability to communicate scientific information to a broad audience. That begins with his passion for doing work that benefits the environment.

Ehren Deppert is the field and laboratory operations lead who oversees HDR’s 12,000-square-foot Environmental Measurements and Data Acquisition Center. In that role, he manages a fleet of more than 10 custom boats ranging from a canoe to a 28-foot Parker research vessel, and he also specializes in fabricating custom equipment to support clients’ specific environmental monitoring studies.

Kate Estler always had a passion for aquatic science, from her childhood days exploring tidepools in New England to her current position as a senior environmental scientist who supervises HDR’s taxonomy laboratory. She and her team work with regulatory agencies to design environmental studies, which often involve some of her favorite creatures — tiny macroinvertebrates as well as fish eggs and larvae that she needs a microscope to identify and measure.

Casey Stokes grew up along the shore of the Hudson River in upstate New York, where he became scuba-certified as a teenager. His comfort on the water led to a natural career as an environmental scientist and field coordinator. As a conduit between the project team and field staff, his role involves finding the right specialists and equipment needed for each job.

Credits: Produced by Danny Sullivan and John Tourek. Special thanks to Josh Bartels for co-producing this episode.