Susan Wierman is a planner, manager, and author with extensive experience in air pollution control. She was the Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA) from 1996 until 2017. Before joining MARAMA, Wierman was employed by Maryland’s Air and Radiation Management Administration (from 1981 – 1996) and was deputy director of the administration from 1988- 1996. Wierman began working in air pollution control in 1977, when she was an air quality planner for the State of Minnesota. Prior to that she worked for the Snohomish County, Washington Planning Department from 1974 – 1976. 

Wierman earned Bachelor of Arts (1972) and Master of Urban Planning (1974) degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle.  While working for Maryland, she was awarded an EPA fellowship and earned a Certificate in Continuing Engineering Studies from Johns Hopkins University (1987).  She is a long-time member of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) and serves on their Publications Committee, on the Editorial Advisory Committee for AWMA’s Environmental Manager magazine, and for 2023-2026 she is the Chair of AWMA’s Critical Review Committee. She is also active in the American Association of University Women (AAUW) where she served as state Co-President from 2018 – 2020 and is Co-Vice President for Communications from 2020-2024.

 

Education History

  • B.A. Urban Planning, University of Washington
  • MUP Urban Planning, University of Washington
  • Certificate Continuing Engineering Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Work Experience

Lecturer, JHU Whiting School of Engineering, Engineering for Professionals

Publications

“The 2023 Good Neighbor Plan to Mitigate Interstate Ozone Pollution: Context and a Brief Introduction,” EM Magazine, December 2023

“The Challenging Context of EPA’s Review of the Secondary Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur,” EM Magazine, September 2022.

“Challenges related to Implementing the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards,” EM Magazine, November 2021.

“Recent Advances in Understanding Ozone Pollution near Large Water Bodies,” by Susan S.G. Wierman, Leiran Biton, and Joel Dreessen, EM Magazine, October 2020.

“A Perspective on the Development of Programs to Control Stationary Source Nitrogen Oxide Emissions in the Eastern United States,” by Susan S.G. Wierman and William J. O’Sullivan, Proceedings, Air and Waste Management Association 112th Annual Conference and Exhibition, Quebec City, Quebec, June 25-28, 2019, Paper # 592932.

Technical Challenges of Multipollutant Air Quality Management, edited by George M. Hidy, Jeffrey R. Brook, Kenneth L. Demerjian, Luisa T. Molina, William T. Pennell, and Richard D. Scheffe, 2011, Springer. Cites Susan S.G. Wierman as one of many contributing authors.

“Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Sources to Health Outcomes: Conference Summary,” (2012) Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health 5 9-62. (Paul Solomon et al.) This article summarizes an international specialty conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research held in March 2010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-011-0161-4

“Visibility: Science and Regulation,” September 2002, Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association (52:973-999) (J.C. Chow, J.D. Bachmann, S.S.G. Wierman, C.V. Mathai, W.C. Malm, W.H. White, P.K. Mueller, N. Kumar, J.G. Watson) DOI: 10.1080/10473289.2002.10470844. Invited Critical Review Discussant.

Computer Handling of Geographical Data, by R.F. Tomlinson, H.W. Calkins, and D.F. Marble, 1976, The UNESCO Press. Cited as contributing author. (My masters thesis is one chapter, and I drafted large parts of this book.)

“What’s Next for the U.S. Ambient Air Quality Standards? Perspectives of Scientists and the Regulated Community,” EM Magazine, December 2018

“Air Quality in the Western States,” by John Kinsman and Susan Wierman, EM Magazine, January 2017

“Making the Most of New Air Quality Monitoring Technology,” EM Magazine, November, 2016

“Introduction to EM’s 20th Anniversary Issue,” EM Magazine, January 2015

“U.S. SO2 Air Quality Standard Requires new Approaches,” EM Magazine, December 2014, pp. 6-11.

“Meeting the Challenge—Achieving Compliance with the New 1-hr SO2 and NO2 Standards,” (co-author with Jesse Thé and Gary Bramble), EM Magazine, December 2014, pp. 4-5.

“Lessons from the Mid-Atlantic Dray Truck Replacement Program,” Proceedings 2014 AWMA Annual Conference (co-author with Deborah L. Thomas and Medessa S. Burian)

“State and Local Experiences Establishing Air Monitoring Sites Near U.S. Roadways: A Conversation,” AWMA’s EM Magazine, July 2013. (Co-author with Jennifer Hains, David Krask, Bruce Louks, Harlan Quan, Darrell Stern, and Kenneth Stroud)

“EPA’s 2011 Transport Rule: Context and Major Provisions of CSAPR,” February 2012, EM Magazine (Air and Waste Management Association)

Contributing author, Technical Challenges of Multipollutant Air Quality Management, edited by George M. Hidy, Jeffrey R. Brook, Kenneth L. Demerjian, Luisa T. Molina, William T. Pennell, and Richard D. Scheffe, 2011, Springer

“Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Sources to Health Outcomes: Conference Summary,” Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, published online 20 October 2011 (co-author with Paul Solomon et al.). This article summarizes an international specialty conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research March 2010.

Improving Estimates of Air Pollutant Emissions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States: A Workshop Report and Summary, March 2010 (W. Pennell, E. Burkhard, and S. Wierman, editors) (NARSTO 10-001) (130 pp.)

“Urgent CAIR Needed,” by John D. Bachmann and S. Wierman, December 2008, EM Magazine (Air and Waste Management Association)

“Will the 8-hr Ozone Standard Finally Get Off the Ground?” September 2003 EM Magazine (Air and Waste Management Association) (pp. 20-28)

Invited Critical Review Discussant, “Visibility: Science and Regulation,” September 2002, Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association (52:973-999) (J.C. Chow, J.D. Bachmann, S.S.G. Wierman, C.V. Mathai, W.C. Malm, W.H. White, P.K. Mueller, N. Kumar, J.G. Watson)

Principal author, “Developing Strategies to Reduce Ozone Transport in the Eastern United States,” 1996, Proceedings, AWMA Annual Meeting (Co-author with Merrylin Zaw-Mon)

Principal author, “Developing an Air Toxics Control Program for the State of Maryland,” 1986, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, AWMA (Co-authors G. S. Aburn, Jr., and G. P. Ferreri)

Contributing author, Computer Handling of Geographical Data, by R.F. Tomlinson, H.W. Calkins, and D.F. Marble, 1976, The UNESCO Press.

Honors and Awards

  • S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Control Official (2012)
  • Fellow Member, Air and Waste Management Association (2006)
  • Phi Beta Kappa (1972)

Professional Organizations

Air and Waste Management Association