Beverly Ramsey, former executive director of the Division of Earth & Ecosystems Sciences, Desert Research Institute, at the University of Nevada, Reno, died April 3 at age 72.
Ramsey, who retired from DRI in 2018, passed away at her home in Woodsboro, Md.
She began her career as a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1969 and subsequently worked for Battelle Memorial Institute, Bechtel National Inc., Kaiser Engineers, Inc., Gibbs & Hill (Hill International) Inc., Systematic Management Services, Inc., Advanced Technologies & Laboratories Intl, Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sonalysts, Inc. She came to DRI in 2014 with decades of experience of experience in all aspects of environmental sciences and environmental health ranging from planning projects such as NEPA through nuclear and hazardous chemical operations as well as energy security, emergency preparedness and both response/recovery.
Ramsey had extensive experience in site characterization and remediation for industrial and government operations, including for national laboratory and military mission and M&O contractors including Lockheed-Martin, Battelle, Northrup Grumman, Union Carbide, and Bechtel. She led several development and scale-up tests for soil stabilization, restoration, and cleanup of U.S., Canadian, European governmental and industrial sites.
Her experience in energy included desalination projects, including shallow soil salt stabilization in development programs in the Middle East (while at Kaiser and Gibbs & Hill), soil stabilization and reclamation in oil-bearing sands in Albert, Canada, (while at ORNL, Battelle) and watershed management including soils restoration from energy extraction, pollutant deposition and non-point source discharge from industrial areas throughout her career.
Ramsey created and managed environmental management and compliance programs for Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories. In 2000, while serving at Los Alamos, she helped to lead the Labs emergency response to the devastating Cerro Grande fire.
Ramsey is survived by her husband of 28 years, Robert Wilbur Ramsey, Jr. A private family service will be held at her home.
