Health Systems and Population Health

Research Interests

Gerry has over 30 years of experience working on risk assessment and standards for environmental contamination, including exposure scenarios and public input. He has worked extensively with Tribes to incorporate Native American and Tribal exposure scenarios in cleanup and hazardous waste related decisions. He has served on numerous agency advisory boards relating to hazardous substance cleanup. Gerry has lectured and presented in numerous forums on risk assessment and public input to exposure scenarios in hazardous waste site cleanup planning; and is frequently cited in national and regional news media. Gerry continues to work with students interested in research and evidence-based policies on e-cigarettes / vaping, preventing lead exposure, funding foundational public health and other public health topics.

Bio

Representative Gerry Pollet, JD, represents the 46th District (North & NE Seattle) in the Washington Legislature. Gerry has taught the second year Policy Block in Community Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) as well as Environmental Health. His legislative work reflects his interest in public health policy and collaboration with COPHP students, including passing the first state legislation in the US regulating e-cigarette and vaping products, first in US legislation to address sexual misconduct “Passing the Harasser” practices at WA colleges and universities, WA’s environmental justice laws, and eliminating lead in school water. He has also been recognized as the leading advocate in the Legislature for special education and for his work on behalf of access for postsecondary education. Gerry has been appointed by the Governor to be one of Washington’s three Commissioners on the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education.

Gerry was the lead organizer for the initial effort to cleanup the massive Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the most contaminated area in North America, and wrote and directed the statewide referendum that protected WA from Hanford being the nation’s High Level Nuclear Waste Dump. He continues to serve as executive director of the Hanford cleanup watchdog group Heart of America NW (hanfordcleanup.org). Working closely with the Yakama nation and other affected Tribes, he runs a full-time summer Tribal Environmental Law externship program.
The School of Public Health honored Heart of America Northwest and Gerry with its 2010 Community Service Partner award.

Education

JD Law, University of Washington, 1983
BA Government, Clark University, 1980

Academic Programs and Affiliations

• Community-Oriented Public Health Practice