Author Brock Parker


UA Research Enhanced by New Research Software Engineer

To address the growing necessity for high-quality software in research, The University of Alabama recently hired Dr. Karnesh Jain as UA’s first research software engineer. A research software engineer, or RSE, can develop software related to domain-specific research, such as science, engineering, digital humanities, computational simulations, artificial intelligence and machine learning. They can work with…


NOAA Awards Climate Science Funding for UA, Sea Grant Projects

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded funding for climate science and community resilience projects involving researchers from The University of Alabama, Sea Grant programs and universities around the Southeast. NOAA’s Climate Program Office recently announced more than $171 million to support projects aimed at improving U.S. climate challenges. The agency’s newly launched Adaptation…


UA Researcher Awarded Grant for Imaging Algae in Coastal Waters

A new equipment grant will allow University of Alabama researchers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to improve their ability to forecast harmful algal blooms in Mobile Bay. The Gulf Coast Ocean Observing System has awarded $457,000 to Dr. Kenneth Hoadley for the purchase and maintenance of two Imaging FlowCytobots, or IFCBs, and for personnel.…


AWI Spotlight: Dr. Ryan Johnson

The Alabama Water Institute recently welcomed Dr. Ryan Johnson as a postdoctoral researcher. Johnson earned his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Utah. His dissertation research took advantage of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve snowpack-dependent urban water systems’ resilience, reliability and vulnerability in a changing climate. “This ongoing work…


Washing Away Nitrogen Through Roadside Ditches

Ditches are a common feature along roadways. The main purpose of these human-made conduits is to provide a path for stormwater to escape, but a University of Alabama researcher’s curiosity discovered a relatively unknown benefit: the removal of nitrogen. Dr. Corianne Tatariw’s daily commute from Mobile, Alabama, to Dauphin Island was filled with miles and…


UA Researchers Studying Storm-driven Groundwater from Barrier Islands

Coastal areas are popular places to live and visit. Every summer, families load up their cars and head to the beach for a few days of relaxation. In Alabama, one destination is Dauphin Island, a small barrier island three miles south of Mobile Bay. When tourists arrive, they cross their fingers for good weather. All…


AWI Strategic Plan Addresses Global Water Research and Solutions

The Alabama Water Institute has launched its five-year strategic plan to guide its mission of carrying out cutting edge and applied research and to train the next generation of scientists to provide working, novel solutions for a more water-secure world. The plan, which outlines the institute’s path until 2026, focuses on the collaborations of water…


UA Researcher Studying Impact of Humankind’s Water Footprint

Water touches everything. Every aspect of life relies on it, whether it’s nourishing the human body, sanitation or the production of everyday items. Water leaves a footprint larger than most things on the planet. Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen, an assistant professor in civil, construction and environmental engineering at The University of Alabama, studies the water footprint…


Alabama Water Institute Awards Multiple Equipment Grants

In the ongoing efforts to support water-related research at The University of Alabama, the Alabama Water Institute has awarded five faculty members a total of $76,630 through the AWI Equipment Support Program. Dr. James Harris, assistant professor in UA’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has been awarded $30,130 from the AWI for a diffuse…


New UA Stormwater Detention Basin to Ease Flooding and Provide Research Opportunities

Flooding should be less of a problem for one area of The University of Alabama campus. A new underground stormwater detention basin beneath the Tutwiler Triangle Lot will help quickly reduce the amount of standing water after heavy rain. The basin, located at the corner of Bryant Drive and 10th Avenue, has a capacity of…


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