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Student Digest
March 2025 Issue 3
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In this issue:
- About the Student Digest
- Help Us Shape the Future
- 2025 Conference
- What’s New in the Field?
- 2024 Dissertation Award Recipients
- Student Spotlight
| | Welcome! The Student Digest is a tailored UCOWR resource created for students by students. The purpose of this quarterly column is to provide curated relevant information on upcoming events, active award competitions, new research findings, and position postings. As an active resource, please provide suggestions and feedback to optimize the topics and maximize the benefits for our current student cohort. | | |
Help us Shape the Future
Want to see current position postings? Curious about the most current legislation on water resource topics? Looking for resources to build your knowledge on analytical methods (i.e. laboratory/experimental design, statistical tests, coding scripts)? Help us to create a tailored resource for your interests.
Click the link below to tell us about your content ideas for future Student Digests!
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Conference Registration Is Open!
Please join us June 3-5, 2025, in beautiful downtown Minneapolis, MN for the 2025 Annual Water Resources Conference. Near the headwaters of three continental basins, Minneapolis serves as a reminder that water connects distant places and diverse peoples.
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Be sure to register before April 21st to secure the early-bird rates!
| | Please Note: Beginning January 2025, the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education (JCWRE) is published through Digital Commons on OpenSIUC. JCWRE is now an Open Access journal. JCWRE was formerly published on WileyOnline. | |
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Effects of Rock Covering on Underlying Engineered Media in Bioretention Practices in Middle Tennessee, USA
Curry et al. 2024 assessed differences in rain gardens surface covers for 52 bioretention practices in Davidson County. Rain gardens that used plant-based mulch had significantly more organic material and a looser, less dense structure. In contrast, those covered with rocks had denser soil, which negatively impacted plant growth. Therefore, the choice of surface covering creates a trade-off: while rock coverings might offer certain benefits, it can hinder plant establishment. Ultimately, the study highlights the importance of carefully considering the impact of ground cover on soil health and plant growth in rain gardens.
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Assessment of Recycled and Manufactured Adsorptive Materials for Phosphate Removal from Municipal Wastewater
Drummond et al. 2024 explored the potential of using recycled materials to reduce harmful phosphorus levels in treated wastewater. Recycled concrete consistently removing nearly all of the phosphorus over an extended period. Expanded clay also showed promise, though its effectiveness decreased over time. Notably, recycled concrete demonstrated a greater capacity to hold onto phosphorus. Results suggest that both recycled concrete and expanded clay could be valuable components in passive filters designed to further purify wastewater before it enters natural waterways, thereby helping to protect aquatic ecosystems.
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Changes in Streamflow Statistics and Catchment Land Uses Across Select USGS Gages in Northwest and West-central Arkansas
McMullen et al. 2024 examined how changing land use, specifically increased urbanization, has affected stream flows in northwest Arkansas. Areas with greater urban development showed the most significant increases in both peak and low water levels. The study revealed that urban growth
often replaced agricultural land, contributing to changes in water flow. Furthermore, higher levels of human development were directly associated with these increased flow changes. No decreases in stream flow were observed at any of the studied locations. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating the potential for increased flooding and stream bank erosion into future land development plans and regulations.
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UCOWR 2024 Ph.D. Dissertation Awards
2024 AWRA/UCOWR/NIWR 60th Anniversary Conference
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Water Policy and
SocioEconomics Category
| Dr. Louis Sears earned his Ph.D. from the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University in 2023. His dissertation: “Management of Groundwater Resources in California: Opportunities for Collaboration and Competition Through Legal Institutions in a Spatial Dynamic Setting” examines the role that property rights institutions can play in promoting more efficient and sustainable use of groundwater resources in California. Previously he worked for the International Monetary Fund, where he contributed to research on expenditure policy and to measuring the fiscal and welfare impacts of socially inefficient energy pricing. Since 2022 Dr. Sears has served as an economist at the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. His work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals like World Development, Sustainability, Water Economics and Policy, and has been covered in popular media including by the New York Times and Nature. | |  | |
Natural Science and
Engineering Category
| Dr. Rebecca Kriss holds B.S. and M.S.E. degrees in Environmental Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech). She has performed research detecting and addressing organic, inorganic, and biological contaminants in drinking water, premise plumbing, and wastewater. As an ORISE fellow in EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center, she investigated treatments for and fate of chemical and biological contaminants of concern in water and wastewater systems. Her dissertation work assessed onsite tests and developed residential and utility guidance to address lead and copper concerns from corrosion of premise plumbing. Dr. Kriss continues to help water systems address contamination concerns as a Physical Scientist at the US EPA Office of Water’s Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience Division where she works as a subject matter expert helping prepare for and respond to incidents. | | |
Kasra Khodkar
Kasar is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student and working as a Graduate Research Assistant under supervision of Dr. Ali Mirchi, in Biosystem Engineering at the Oklahoma State University. He started focusing on water resources/hydrological modeling during his master's, where his research focus was to evaluate impacts of climate change on groundwater resources using Artificial Intelligence tools. Currently he is working on Conjunctive Freshwater Saltwater Management project, where he collects water salinity data from streams and groundwater wells and use process-based models (e.g., SWAT and MODFLOW) as well as AI models, to simulate salinity dynamics in the Upper Red River Basin. He also works with the AccelNet: PEER2PEER International Convergence Research Networks in Transboundary Water Security project where they bring together global networks focusing on transboundary water management. Kasra received the First Place Student Oral Presentation Award at the 2024 AWRA/UCOWR/NIWR 60th Anniversaries Joint Water Resources Conference.
| | | Interested in being highlighted in the Student Spotlight or want to nominate a student? Fill out the following form: | | | | |
