Research Projects
Participation in Stormwater Management
There is a paucity of research on environmental and conservation related behaviors of socioeconomic minorities as compared to majority groups in the US. Ignorance of the deviation between social groups can cause misunderstanding of the cultural underpinnings that influence environmental attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. Past studies reveal that participation in environmental activities and conservation practices differs between marginalized communities and majority communities, and major drivers of this discrepancy are due to exclusionary practices in majority spaces. The main objective of this study is to identify barriers to participation in stormwater management and provide quantitative evidence of the presence of these barriers. I collaborated with Dr. Mangala Subramanian (Purdue University, Dept. of Sociology), Dr. Sara McMillan (Purdue University, Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering), Dr. Sandra Clinton (UNC Charlotte), and Theresa Ingermann to accomplish this project. See publication pdf here.
A Socio-Ecological Framework for Assessing Stormwater Infrastructure Equity: A Case Study of New York CityThis project is a SESYNC graduate student pursuit where we explore the socio-ecological impacts of stormwater green infrastructure. We use New York city as a case study to investigate the following research questions: how are decisions on SGI location influencing socio-ecological outcomes, and how are socio-ecological outcomes influencing decisions on SGI location? See full project description here: https://www.sesync.org/project/graduate-student-pursuit-rfp/a-socio-ecological-framework-for-assessing-stormwater
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Influence of Stormwater Control Measures on Water Quality in Small, Nested Suburban WatershedsWater retention structures in the terrestrial landscape, specifically stormwater control measures (SCMs), are engineered analogs of natural nutrient processing hotspots (i.e. riparian zones, wetlands, hyporheic zones), which function as facilitators of nutrient uptake, assimilation, and transformation. SCM inlet-outlet studies have widely reported reductions in nutrient loads; however at the watershed scale, where multiple confounding influences impact nutrient behavior, SCM mitigation is not consistently linked to improvements in water quality. To assess cumulative impacts of SCMs, storm discharge and water chemistry were monitored at high temporal resolution along a longitudinal gradient of SCM treatment in a small suburban watershed in Charlotte, NC. We observed changes in water quality as SCMs retain and flush stormwater to the stream. See publication pdf here.
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Inequities in Water Policies: Cases of India and South AfricaGiven global water crises such as water shortages in urban areas and the persistence of droughts, we examine how inequities (across gender, class, caste, race, and kinship) are recognized in national agricultural policies. We develop a critical lens to examine how inequities at the national level influence individuals' experiences with water and water infrastructure. Collaborators on this project include Dr. Mangala Subramaniam, Dr. Dulcy Abraham, and another ESE student Becca Nixon. We recently presented this project at the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers) Global Water Security Conference 2018.
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