The Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center (MA WRRC) unites experts from a wide range of disciplines, including environmental science, policy, engineering, and water management. Their collective knowledge and experience help guide the Center's efforts to address pressing water resource challenges across the region. By providing strategic oversight and informed perspectives, the board plays a critical role in shaping research initiatives, promoting sustainable practices, and influencing water-related policies that impact both local communities and the broader New England area.
Bob O’Connor does contract and volunteer conflict resolution and mediation work focused on family, housing, civil and juvenile cases and does facilitation, coordination, and grant writing projects for a variety of environmental organizations including Groundwork Rhode Island, MA Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the Meridian Institute. He is the former Director of the Division of Conservation Services at the MA EEA where he coordinated land conservation programs, forest policy initiatives and grant programs for communities and non-profits. Prior to this he directed the Watershed Initiative Program for Massachusetts and supervised operations at the Quabbin Reservoir and its watersheds. He holds a BS in forest management from the SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry and two Master’s degrees from UMass Boston in Business Administration and Conflict Resolution.
Richard Friesner joined NEIWPCC in 2016 as Director of Water Quality Programs. He works on a variety of projects including wetlands, monitoring, water quality standards, nutrients, TMDLs, harmful algal blooms, and others. He serves as the NEIWPCC representative on the Management Committee for the Long Island Sound Study and has worked on technical nutrient related assessment work with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Richard joined NEIWPCC with 10 years of experience in the environmental science and policy field including work in private consulting and at the USGS. He continues to direct the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University. Richard holds a Ph.D. in environmental science and public policy from George Mason University, an M.S. and B.S in environmental science from the University of Kansas.
Jeffrey Arps graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1992. After working at Coneco Environmental in Bridgewater, MA for two years, he joined Tighe & Bond in 1994, where he currently serves as a Vice President at the Westfield, MA office. He has been a Massachusetts Licensed Site Professional (LSP) since 2002.
Jeffrey's work has focused on site assessment and remediation, particularly in the assessment and closure of solid waste landfills. His remedial experience includes soil excavation, NAPL recovery, groundwater extraction and treatment for metals and solvents, air sparging/soil vapor extraction for gasoline releases, in-situ chemical oxidation using sodium persulfate and permanganate for diesel fuel and chlorinated solvents, and aerobic/anaerobic bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents.
Since 2019, the majority of Jeffrey's work has been centered on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). In 2021, he was selected as the sole LSP to serve on the Massachusetts PFAS Interagency Task Force, a testament to his expertise in this emerging field.
Vandana Rao is the Director of Water Policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). She is responsible for developing policy and providing direction to the Secretary of EEA on water resource issues across the state. These include issues such as water quantity and quality, drought, water conservation, wastewater, habitat, watershed management, climate change impacts from and to water resources, and stormwater. Over the years, she has worked on managing the State’s drought response; leading the development and update of the Massachusetts Water Conservation Standards and the Interbasin Transfer Act regulations; the Sustainable Water Management Initiative; developing and implementing the Massachusetts Water Policy; managing the development of guidance on nutrient reduction strategies and; streamlining the dam removal permitting process, among others. Vandana chairs the state Drought Management Task Force, and is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission where she works on interbasin transfer issues, water policy, water conservation and water resource management.
Vandana is closely involved in climate change adaptation efforts at the state – she was the editor of the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation report (2011) and worked on inter-agency collaborations. More recently she has been the lead on developing updated climate projects for MA and is working with the climate team at EEA on incorporating them into various management and regulatory processes.
Vandana received her Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, her Masters in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, and her Bachelors in Life Sciences from the University of Bombay, India.
Marcel Belaval is the Deputy Director of the New England Water Science Center where he is part of a team helping to accomplish the vision of the Center: leading in public service by providing relevant, accessible, and innovative water science to New England and the Nation.
Marcel has extensive experience applying hydrologic science to environmental regulatory programs in collaboration with state, local, federal, and tribal partners. In his previous role as a Hydrologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England Regional Office, Marcel provided hydrology expertise to EPA’s water division, advising on issues such as contaminant hydrogeology, surface water and groundwater interactions, and watershed nutrient management. Marcel is a New Hampshire Licensed Professional Geologist. He earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Geophysics from Boston College.
His professional experience includes serving as Deputy Director at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center since 2022, following his role as a Hydrologist at EPA Region 1 in Boston, MA from 2005 to 2022. He also worked as an Environmental Scientist at EPA Region 1 from 2003 to 2005. Earlier in his career, Marcel served as a Research Assistant at Boston College’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences from 2001 to 2003 and as a Hydrologist at the USGS Hydrogeophysics Branch from 2000 to 2003.
Marcel holds an M.S. in Geophysics from Boston College and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Connecticut. He is also a New Hampshire Licensed Professional Geologist.