Patty Toccalino is the Deputy Regional Director for the USGS Northwest-Pacific Islands region which encompasses Department of the Interior Regions 9 and 12. Patty shares responsibility with the Regional Director for planning, directing, and evaluating all science and operational activities within 7 Ecosystems and Water Science Centers located in Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Prior to joining the Region, Patty served as the principal advisor to the Program Coordinator for the USGS National Water Quality Program (NWQP) on all aspects of NWQP planning, funding, and communications with partners and stakeholders.
Patty’s scientific expertise lies at the interfaces between environmental chemistry, toxicology, risk assessment, and the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment. She led an interagency collaborative effort to evaluate the occurrence and potential human-health significance of unregulated contaminants in the Nation’s water resources, including chemical mixtures and emerging contaminants, and briefed Congressional staff on findings.