REU Site: Re-Inventing America's Urban Water Infrastructure

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

America's urban infrastructure was largely developed in the mid 20th century, a time of inexpensive energy, smaller urban populations, and less awareness of environmental impacts such as damage to aquatic habitat and greenhouse gas emissions. Many regions of the country are experiencing periodic water shortages and historic droughts that have created unprecedented stress on water resources and pushed re-thinking of water supply options. Such shortages, coupled with the high cost of operating and maintaining existing water infrastructure, threaten economic growth, social welfare and national security and underscore the urgent need to transform America's water infrastructure. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at Stanford University, hosted by the Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Re-Inventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), aims to create a new paradigm for safe, sustainable management of urban water. A unique interdisciplinary research experience for undergraduates will immerse diverse and talented cohorts of students from a variety of institutions, particularly those with limited or no research opportunities, in ReNUWIt research groups, working on projects related to managed natural systems and efficient engineered systems. This program will increase undergraduate students' interests in pursuing advanced degrees in water science engineering, with a particular emphasis on women and minorities. This REU Site offers undergraduates, in collaboration with ReNUWIt faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, opportunities to conduct hands-on research during a 9-week summer program, using cross-disciplinary, systems level approaches that directly address the design of urban water infrastructure and key knowledge gaps in water science/engineering. The program will take place at the four ReNUWIt partner institution campuses located at: Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, Colorado School of Mines, and New Mexico State University. In addition, to conducting research the students will participate in a range of activities outside the lab to learn more about the wider research community and to hone the skills needed to become successful contributors to the community. These include: 1) All REU Meeting on the Stanford campus. 2) Weekly videoconferences with REU students at partner institutions 3)Professional development workshops on technical writing, oral presentations, career options. and ethics. 4) Interaction with members of ReNUWIt's Industrial Affiliates Board and Innovation Partners. Products created by the REU students at the end of the summary-abstracts and summary graphics-will be displayed in the online ReNUWIt REU gallery for wide dissemination. Some of the REU students will also present their work at national and international conferences.