Local, national and global environmental and public health protection is a key societal concern and one that is intrinsically linked to clean water. Our current research in the nexus of water and ecological and human health strives to limit the damage to the natural environment and ecosystem, and potentially avoid exposure of humans and natural systems to hazards.

Highlighted Research Projects & Initiatives 

Using Big Data approaches to assess ecohydrological resilience across scales

Land-cover transformation, amplification of biogeochemical flows, and climate disruption are triggering transitions in the Earth system that are unprecedented on human timescales. To ensure biosphere integrity and continued human flourishing, we need to understand the factors that determine ecosystem resilience to these diverse disturbances. This project brings together researchers from across the country in a Critical Zone Collaborative Network, combining data science, ecology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry. Students, researchers, and outreach partners will work in dynamic teams to create new knowledge through field and lab work, and improve education, policy, and participation in STEM fields. CEE researchers are developing and applying complex systems tools to study patterns in watershed data that will be used to inform understanding of ecohydrological resilience. This project is supported by the National Science Foundation.

CEE Faculty: Kristen Underwood, Donna Rizzo, Scott Hamshaw

UVM Collaborators: Julia Perdrial, Regina Toolin, Leon Walls, Michael Blouin, Byung Lee

Collaborating Institutions & Organizations: CUAHSI, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Nevada - Reno, Penn State, University of Kansas, University of Arizona, Desert Research Institute

Research Group and Faculty 

Arne Bomblies, Donna Rizzo, Appala Raju Badireddy, Elizabeth Doran

• Water Treatment & Environmental Nanotechnology (WTEN) Laboratory