The Alabama Water Institute has selected three faculty members from The University of Alabama to serve as 2023-26 fellows in the AWI Faculty Fellowship Program.
The program recognizes UA faculty for outstanding research, extension and education programs that significantly advance UA’s interdisciplinary water-related communities of science.
The 2023 Early Career AWI Faculty Fellows include:
- Dr. Wanyun “Abby” Shao, assistant professor of geography, College of Arts & Sciences.
- Dr. Steven Weinman, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, College of Engineering.
The 2023 Distinguished AWI Faculty Fellow includes:
- Dr. Mukesh Kumar, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, College of Engineering.
“I am excited for this year’s faculty to join the AWI Fellows program and each represent the excellent research that occurs at the Capstone,” said Mike Gremillion, AWI interim executive director. “We hope to highlight their experience and expertise and look for ways to facilitate some of their amazing interdisciplinary research done at this University.”
Two Early Career and one Distinguished Faculty Fellowships are awarded each year by AWI to candidates who are affiliated with the institute. Each fellowship has a tenure of three academic years and is accompanied by an annual salary stipend.
Selected fellows have shown evidence of strong interdisciplinary water-related research, education and/or extension programs. Their research, education and extension priorities align with AWI’s mission, which is to both carry out cutting edge and applied research and to train the next generation of scientists to provide actionable, novel solutions for a more water-secure world.
AWI Faculty Fellows serve as representatives that are committed to contribute to AWI’s initiatives during their term and help promote the institute across UA, its partners and to the public. AWI Faculty Fellows also increase the visibility and impact of the institute by participating in its monthly WaterWorks talk series and by submitting two interdisciplinary AWI proposals. The creation of the AWI demonstrated the commitment of UA to be a premier research and education institution around water-related issues. AWI’s goal is to become a world-class interdisciplinary water research institute that develops path-breaking, holistic and environmentally friendly solutions to ensure people and ecological systems in our community, state, nation and around the world have access to clean water and are resilient to extreme events. AWI Faculty Fellows collectively provide a community of science to the UA campus that can respond to multiple interdisciplinary research opportunities and build a portfolio of projects and initiatives that benefit not only the University, but all of society.