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We are pleased to announce the student Poster and Oral Presentation Awards from the 2023 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Water Resources Conference in Fort Collins, CO. All recipients received a monetary award. Congratulations!

Student Oral Presentation Award Recipients

1st place: Brittany Isidore, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Brittany Isidore is both an Agroecology Master’s student and a Ph.D. student in Environment and Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While pursuing these degrees Brittany has developed a deep passion for transforming agroecosystems through transdisciplinary research and evaluation. As part of the Natural Resources Institute’s Evaluation Unit at the University of Wisconsin- Madison’s Division of Extension, alongside her colleague Amber Mase, Brittany was able to support an evaluation of an EPA funded project ‘Farmer-to-Farmer’ aimed to reduce nutrient pollution in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basins and shrink the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico through building the capacity for leadership in watershed management.

2nd place: Justin Bowen, University of Wyoming
Justin is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wyoming studying under Dr. Ginger Paige. His main focus is studying how decision support systems can be developed to manage surface water resources. He is currently putting his work to practice in the Popo Agie and Clear Creek watersheds in Wyoming. After finishing his Ph.D. in a year or so, he plans on continuing the research and development of decision support systems in collaboration with local to federal scale agencies in finding solutions to their water resource problems.

3rd place: Lacy Barnette, University of South Carolina
Lacy just completed her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina’s Soil Health Lab. She previously earned her B.S. in Math and Science Education from Winthrop University and her Masters of Earth and Environmental Resource Management also from University of South Carolina.  As part of the Arnold School of Public Health, she is passionate about combining her knowledge of environmental science and background in education for accurate and effective science communication. She is committed to applying scientific research beyond the laboratory. Her research interests include science communication, stakeholder engagement, applied agriculture research, and soil health.  Lacy will join Clemson Extension to continue her agriculture outreach work.

Student Poster Presentation Award Recipients

1st place: Carson Roberts, Mississippi State University
Carson is a Graduate Research Assistant and Ph.D. candidate at Mississippi State University, working under the direction of Dr. Drew Gholson. He received a master’s degree in plant science from Utah State University and a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Brigham Young University – Idaho. Carson has a passion for using agricultural research to solve problems that plague farmers and the environment. His current research is focused on improving water use efficiency, profitability, and soil conservation in cotton production systems. Carson plans to graduate with a Ph.D. in agronomy in May 2024.

2nd place: Cassandra Bonfil, University of California – Davis
Cassandra Bonfil is a second year hydrologic sciences Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis under the guidance of Dr. Isaya Kisekka. Cassandra’s research interests include groundwater and vadose zone contaminant fate and transport. Her research is focused on detecting and monitoring soil nitrate under irrigated cropping systems to support nutrient management decisions that optimize crop production while reducing the risk of nitrate leaching to groundwater.

3rd place: Nichole Angell, University of Minnesota
Nichole is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota working for the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC). She received her bachelor’s degree in aquatic and Fisheries Science from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Upstate New York and moved to Minnesota to follow her passion for freshwater ecology. Nichole’s thesis work focuses on understanding the cost-effectiveness of aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention practices completed by boaters and trained watercraft inspectors. Results will better inform and guide future AIS management and decision making.