Drought, AI, microplastics and quantum computing: the newest Alabama Water Institute Faculty Fellows are taking on pressing water questions. Meet the three University of Alabama researchers joining the sixth class of fellows.
Four inaugural CRIMSON Water Initiative research projects are turning water research into actionable intelligence for Alabama. As the Alabama Water Institute’s fourth research entity, CRIMSON connects The University of Alabama’s water expertise with communities, agencies and decision-makers to improve preparedness for floods, droughts and other water-related challenges.
More than 340 researchers, federal partners, students and collaborators gathered in Tuscaloosa for CIROH’s fifth annual Science Meeting, “The Next Horizon: From Forecast to Impact.” The four-day meeting showcased emerging research, connected science with operational needs and strengthened partnerships across the water science community.
Dr. Melissa Kenney, the director of research and research professor at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, develops methodological processes like DARTS to support water product development. Her work demonstrates that social scientists are critical contributors to effectively transitioning research to operational effectiveness.
The CIROH Visiting Scholars Program provided Dr. Mohamed Fathi Said and Dr. Wei Zhang with everything they needed to learn about hydroclimatic whiplash. Through their research collaboration with Dr. Mukesh Kumar, high-performance computing resources and plenty of uninterrupted coding time, these visiting scholars impacted hydrologic forecasting and created a lifelong friendship and collaboration.
Every week, students in our Research Experience for Undergraduate program participate in Water Wednesdays, a field learning experience designed to offer them the chance to physically experience the realities of water research and operations.
CIROH community resources allow students, researchers and water professionals to access, share and improve on existing work. Whether it is a model like NextGen In A Box, a presentation, published paper or notebook, open-source assets remain critical for the future of water resources modeling in a consortium made up by diverse fields, talents and careers.
CIROH partnered with NIDIS through hydrologic scientist Dr. Elliot Wickham to connect drought research to drought preparation in the Southeast. By making critical information available to community decision-makers as droughts develop, this partnership supports drought resilience throughout the region.
In 1827, the location of The University of Alabama was influenced by the presence of a critical water resource called Marr’s Spring. Nearly 200 years later, the University is at the center of water research advancing science, technology and policy to create a more secure and sustainable water future for the nation and the world.
Dr. Travis Loof, communication and social scientist for the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, has been selected for the THRIVE 2.0 fellowship. The program supports interdisciplinary collaboration focused on societal challenges, including community resilience, emerging technology and hazard response.
