Karen Seligman Sklenar, Ph.D.

Karen has over 30 years of experience approaching water quality issues from the perspectives of academic researcher, water utility employee, state regulator, and consultant. She brings her subject matter expertise to Cadmus projects that address harmful algal blooms, taste and odor challenges, source water management, drinking water regulations, sanitary surveys, water infrastructure needs, and emergency response planning.

Through her experience with Cadmus and, before that, helping implement New York State’s drinking water program, Karen has gained a comprehensive understanding of drinking water issues and regulations. She has visited hundreds of water systems and understands the challenges of treating and distributing safe drinking water. She enjoys combining this real-world understanding gained from so much time in the field with her strong background in water chemistry, aquatic microbiology, reservoir management, and water treatment to come up with useful solutions and guidance for Cadmus’ clients.

Karen holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering with an Applied Limnology emphasis from the University of California at Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Yale University. She has served on several lake and watershed management committees and is currently a member of her township’s Land Preservation and Sustainability Committee. She serves on the Water Research Foundation Project Advisory Committee for Project 4920: Decision Support Framework for Drinking Water Treatment Plants Experiencing Lake Recovery, and previously served as Project Advisory Committee Member for Project 4683: Sources and Fate of Taste and Odor Causing Compounds in the Missouri River. She was recently a National Academies, Water Science and Technology Board Committee Member for the review of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Operations Support Tool for Water Supply. She is a member of the American Water Works Association.

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