Water infrastructure and climate change among topics as experts weigh in on recent innovations

The National Capital Region’s American Water Resources Association (NCR-AWRA) celebrated its tenth anniversary of the annual water symposium on April 8. Guest speakers and panelists presented from the UDC Student Center Ballroom on the Van Ness campus. This year’s theme was “Data Science Applications in Water Management,” a critical and futuristic topic discussed by featured speakers. The event was co-organized by the Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) in the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) and Professor Tolessa Deksissa, president of NCR-AWRA and director of WRRI.

The one-day symposium brought together experts from governmental agencies, academia, the private sector and non-profits to present and discuss innovations in water research, technology, policy and management to respect and reflect the value of water in the National Capital Region, as well as nationally and internationally.

Dr. Deksissa explains that data science application is a timely topic for managing precious freshwater resources threatened by human-induced climate change. Most of the global population is becoming urban dwellers, and the conventional approaches are inadequate to manage the already existing risks and limited freshwater resources.

“Managing water resources is crucial to adapt and build resilience to human-induced climate change. Consistent with this mission, the objectives of the NCR-AWRA include providing a forum for professionals to meet and exchange ideas on all aspects of water resources and related fields, and promoting advances in water and related resources development, management and protection.” Deksissa said.

The welcome and opening address were given by Dr. Ricardo Brown, associate dean for academic programs/founding director, School of Health and Clinical Sciences at CAUSES, and Dr. Victor McCrary, vice president for research. Dr. Stacey Archfield, a research hydrologist with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area in Reston, Virginia, was the keynote speaker.

Panelists included Shawn Komlos, a physical scientist and director of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center, within the Corps’ Institute for Water Resources, Mathew Mampara, vice president at Dewberry, Sudhir Shrestha, a physical scientist at NOAA and Dr. Jason Davison, an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at The Catholic University of America. Michelle Wyman, executive director of the Global Council for Science and the Environment, was the luncheon speaker.

Sessions included “Increasing the Resilience of Water Infrastructure to Climate Change,” “Data Management Systems & Emerging Technologies,” “Advances in Stormwater & Flood Management Research,” and “Advances in Water Infrastructure Research & Technology.”

Poster presentations and displays included “Baltimore City Irrigation Water Quality: The Current Water Use and Needs from Baltimore City Farmers and Gardeners,” and “Trends in Regional Extreme Precipitation across the Continental United States.”

The event also included a poster competition. Jacob Wynn, a UDC graduate student in water resources management—part of the professional science master’s program—was the first-place winner for “Stormwater Quality Treatment Using Bioretention for Landscape Irrigation Use.” The second-place winner was Emily Healey, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland, for her poster, “Evaluating Indicator Bacteria and Heavy Metal Presence and Concentration in Irrigation Water on Urban Farms in Baltimore City, MD. In addition to an award certificate, the two winners received a $100 and $50 check, respectively.

Students from the National Regional Section can join the student chapter to engage in educational outdoor and indoor activities. The NCR-AWRA also organizes quarterly water workshops that are open to the public. Click here for more information about the organization. Please contact Dr. Deksissa for more information on UDC’s Environmental Quality Testing Laboratory and Professional Science Master Programs.