Opening Keynote

Rachel Meidl, LPD, MEPM, MEd, CHMM

Rachel A. Meidl, LPD, CHMM, is fellow in energy and sustainability at Rice University’s Baker Institute and deputy director of the Center for Energy Studies. She was previously appointed deputy associate administrator for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, an agency of the US Dept. of Transportation. Her research focuses on sustainability; the circular economy; domestic and international policy and law as it relates to life cycle management of hazardous wastes; safety and environmental regulations of the treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation of chemicals within and outside the US; assessing plastics, plastic recycling technologies, advanced electronics, and alternative energy applications from a sustainability and life cycle perspective to understand the environmental, economic, and social impacts across the supply chain; and resiliency of the energy industry.