BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— The earlier a student encounters water science, the more likely it is to take root. That idea drives the Alabama Water Institute’s commitment to reaching younger audiences, and it brought AWI to the McWane Science Center for Engineering Day 2026 in Birmingham, Alabama, on Feb. 25. This annual event held during National Engineering…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama holds approximately 15% of all potable water in the United States, and it has a river delta so ecologically rich it is called “America’s Amazon.” However, most Alabama schoolchildren are not aware of it. “Delta Kids,” a new illustrated children’s book from Clean Water Alabama, is working to change that. The book…
MILLBROOK, Ala. — Protecting our vital waterways requires dedicated scientific research and strong regional collaboration. Watersheds are not confined to state and county lines. The health of our rivers depends on the collective effort of researchers, policymakers and local communities. A Gathering of Experts Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group, focused on nature-based watershed conservation,…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ekaterina Menkina, a University of Alabama anthropology student, had never touched professional filming equipment before. However, the Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group took a chance on her in 2024, handing over professional-grade camera equipment and trusting her to document ancient pictographs 800 miles from Tuscaloosa. “I saw the words ‘creative’ and ‘art,’…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A process that once required two full days of hands-on work by a researcher and graduate student now takes about an hour. The Alabama Water Institute’s Equipment Support Program recently helped fund a Thermo Scientific KingFisher Apex for its CONSERVE Future Ecologies lab. The state-of-the-art genomics platform automates the extraction of DNA, RNA and proteins…
The Alabama Water Institute recently welcomed Dr. Erin White as associate director of science and research operations at CIROH, the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology.
The first USGS FLOW Academy brought 13 students to The University of Alabama for a summer of hands-on water technology, fieldwork and discovery that redefined how they see water science.
The Alabama Water Institute continues to support its affiliated faculty members and their research across The University of Alabama with new tools that expand capabilities in labs and in the field.
Op-Ed by Dr. Travis Loof Setting the Scene A few minutes before 8 a.m., the room was a quiet mix of coffee cups, maps and county binders. Then the briefing began. A Helene-like hurricane had tracked inland and pushed up the I-65 corridor. The scenario was blunt. Statewide power impacts. Road washouts. Compounding hazards. My…
AWI’s Water-R2O NSF Research Traineeship program celebrated the graduation of its 2024-2025 cohort, capping a year of hands-on water science training that spanned the Southeastern U.S. and four European countries.
