Research Overview

Our research advances equitable and sustainable stewardship of water, energy, and environmental resources in water-stressed regions through interdisciplinary research, education, and workforce development. Our work is engineering-driven and integrates the natural, social, and data sciences to develop solution-oriented, place-based, systems-level approaches that strengthen human and ecosystem resilience.

The water challenges we tackled require tight coupling across hydrology, environmental engineering, ecosystems, infrastructure, and energy systems. Our research projects span multiple spatiotemporal scales and require decision support under uncertainty analyses. We develop actionable science and engineering that supports agencies, utilities, and communities. Our three main research themes are:

1) Watersheds, Ecohydrology, and Disturbance-Driven Hydrology This theme focuses on hydrologic processes and watershed responses in natural and urban systems, including runoff generation, sediment and solute transport, and ecosystem function. Current work includes arid watershed hydrology, flood modeling, post-wildfire impacts, ecohydrology, transport in streams and groundwater, and the development of models and technologies to improve prevention, mitigation, restoration, and risk assessments for communities. Consistent with CWE’s vision, this theme connects observations and models to inform decisions before, during, and after disturbances.

2) Treatment Technologies, Water Reuse, and Resource Recovery This theme develops treatment and separation approaches that protect water quality and expand viable supplies. Research includes membrane and materials-enabled separations for water reuse, resource recovery, and environmental remediation, with emphasis on linking materials fabrication and properties to separation performance. It also includes biological treatment processes to improve nutrient and trace contaminant removal (including pharmaceuticals and hormones) and to advance energy recovery and process performance. These directions align with CWE’s vision for advanced treatment and resource recovery that protect public health while safeguarding ecosystem integrity.

3) Water-Energy Systems, Contaminants, and Emerging Water Sources This theme addresses the coupled challenges of water quality, energy development, and complex water sources. Research includes biogeochemical processes affecting metals and radionuclides at the water-energy interface, as well as drinking-water quality and treatment. It also includes the design and feasibility assessment of novel water treatment and resource-recovery technologies, such as atmospheric water harvesting, supported by materials science and data analytics. These efforts align with CWE’s vision for engineering-based remediation and responsible evaluation of complex sources, including atmospheric water, impacted waters, and other nontraditional supplies.