Description: The Iowa Environmental Council and The Harkin Institute will present findings from their landmark report examining how nitrate, PFAS, pesticides, and radon contribute to Iowa’s cancer rates — the second-highest in the nation and still rising — along with recommended policy and regulatory actions to reduce these preventable environmental risk factors.

Authors: Colleen Fowle, Audrey Tran Lam

Author Bios: Colleen Fowle is the Water Program Director with the Iowa Environmental Council. She earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Math from Buena Vista University, a Master of Science degree in Water Resources from Iowa State, and a Master of Arts in Secondary STEM Education from Drake University. Her work bridges the scientific community, the general public, and local and state decision-makers by translating complex scientific information into accessible content for education, outreach, and advocacy purposes.

Since 2017, Audrey has led the CEEE’s environmental health initiatives, working where human health and environmental sustainability meet. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Iowa and a graduate certificate from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Food Systems, the Environment, and Public Health. In addition to her work at the CEEE, Audrey serves on the boards of the Heartland Health Research Alliance, and Pesticide Action Network, as well as on the Executive Committee for the Cancer Free Economy Network and Design Team for Green America’s Soil & Climate Alliance. She holds advisory board positions for the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, the Collaborative for Health and Environment, and the University of Iowa’s Environmental Health Sciences Research Center Community Engagement Core.