This summer, four University of Alabama students enrolled in the National Science Foundation Water-R2O Research Traineeship program, or Water-R2O NRT, got the opportunity to travel abroad to four different research sites and facilities in four different countries. During their visits, they focused on atmospheric sciences, meteorology, hydrology and environmental policy.
“It was fascinating being in locations with that much history,” said Daniel West, a student in the program. “Even more, it was worth us paying attention and learning about how they deal with hydrological issues, especially in changing climates because they undoubtedly have a long record of how to handle situations from the past.”
The first two stops on their European trek were in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Slovenian Environment Agency, and Trento, Italy, at the University of Trento and Meteo Trentino – the forecast center for the Trentino region. In Ljubljana, they visited a hydrologic instrumentation site, heard a lecture from local hydrologist Sašo Petan and previewed the forecast center, noting hydrologic model usage. In Trento, students attended a lecture by Dr. Leigh Terry, associate professor in UA’s College of Engineering, at UniTrento, followed by a tour and informational session at the local forecast center.
“The forecast center in Ljubljana was quite interesting to tour because of the radically different perspective and responsibilities placed on a national center for a relatively small country tasked with cooperating with other surrounding countries,” said Evan Cass, a student in the program. “The dynamic was certainly different to that found in U.S. forecast centers and provides an interesting look into other applications of the profession.”
After Trento, the students headed to the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, Germany. They had individual meetings with Dr. Christof Mauch, director for the environment and society, which focused on environmental policy and decisions. They also attended a presentation by Dr. Angelo Caglioti, a Rachel Carson Center research fellow.
After their stop in Munich, they traveled to Innsbruck, Austria, to the University of Innsbruck. There, they went to the rooftop of a university building to see the view and gain information on instrumentation usage.
“My favorite site was Innsbruck because I love the Alps and this site was directly located among the beautiful snowcapped peaks,” said West. “There’s an anomalous weather event called the Föhn, which has been a part of the Alpine climate in the region for millennia and has influenced how the city of Innsbruck developed. The Föhn is a mixing of two radically different winds that collide over the city and is responsible for providing the area with more desirable weather conditions when the general area is experiencing more harsh weather events.”
From seeing snowcapped mountains to environmental agencies, the Water-R2O NRT international experience is a rare opportunity for graduate students to study abroad. These opportunities are almost entirely reserved for undergraduates and typically available within the U.S.
“The NRT trainees kicked off the NRT program in August 2023 by participating in a domestic study tour,” said Dr. Hannah Holcomb, NRT program coordinator at the Alabama Water Institute. “The students visited a variety of water forecasting and operations centers in the Southeast, with a goal to educate and introduce the trainees to careers in the field.”
The program allows Water-R2O NRT graduate students to see forecast and research centers globally firsthand, in this case, Europe, and compare them to U.S. centers.
“Participating in the international experience is one of the options to satisfy the summer experiential learning requirement, the final NRT program requirement,” said Dr. Glenn Tootle, UA professor of civil engineering. “This abroad opportunity offered in June 2024 was unique as it provided the trainees insight on the similarities and differences among water forecasting and operations in the U.S. and abroad.”
Not only do they receive invaluable international experiences, but Water-R2O NRT graduate students obtain course credit while concurrently working on a research project.
“I think the Water-R2O NRT program is important because it puts a strong emphasis on team science and interdisciplinary research,” said Riley McDermott, a student in the program. “This is an important sentiment to teach upcoming professionals entering the hydrology field, as water is inherently a multidisciplinary issue. The hands-on training in common programs used within the field and team research projects also provide great experience and skills that will be directly applicable in future careers.”
Visit the Water-R2O NRT program website to learn more.