Deborah Swackhamer, program director of the UniversityâÄôs Water Resources Center, was appointed chairwoman of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board on Wednesday. Swackhamer, who served as interim director of the UniversityâÄôs Institute on the Environment until July, brings extensive research and experience applying science to environmental protection to the position, according to a news release. The Science Advisory Board was established by Congress in 1978 to advise the EPA on technical matters. Swackhamer, who has been at the University since 1987, is currently developing chemical indicators of ecological conditions along the coasts of the Great Lakes Her Science Advisory Board chairwoman position will last for two years.