Mathy Stanislaus Joins the Tishman Center as a Visiting Scholar in Spring 2017

The Tishman Environment and Design Center is excited to announce that Mathy Stanislaus, former Assistant Administrator at the US Environmental Protection Agency, will join us as a Visiting Scholar in Spring 2017. Stanislaus joins the Tishman Center conducting research to advance circular economy policies and practices. Stanislaus will join the Tishman Center to develop a research agenda that identifies opportunities to align urban infrastructure, manufacturing practices, and state and municipal policies to advance practices that meet the goals of a circular economy.

As a long-term board member at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, Mathy Stanislaus assisted community-based organizations addressing environmental justice issues. He is a chemical engineer and environmental lawyer with over 20 years of experience in the private and public sectors. In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Stanislaus as Assistant Administrator in EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM). He was the longest serving person in that position. As Assistant Administrator for OLEM, Mr. Stanislaus led EPA's programs that revitalize communities through the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites under Superfund, Brownfields, and Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs. Stanislaus led the Agency's efforts to support community-based actions to address environmental justice under Plan EJ 2014. He advanced President Obama's Climate Action Plan by integrating series of climate change strategies into his office's programs. In addition, he served as chair of the Obama Administration’s Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group that led efforts to address the risks to communities - particularly low-income communities and communities of color - from chemical plant accidents where he led the first revisions to chemical plant safety in over two decades. Stanislaus also led the finalization of the Definition of Solid Waste rule and the national rule to safely manage coal ash disposal. He holds a JD from Chicago - Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from City College of New York. He was born in Sri Lanka and his family immigrated to this country to seek freedom and opportunity.