This year’s Harold and Katherine Guy Graduate Fellowship has been awarded to three graduate students in Iowa State University’s Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department (ISU ABE). The Guy Graduate Fellowship was established to promote research in soil and water conservation.
Emily Waring is in the second year of her doctoral program. She is advised by Matt Helmers, the director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and a dean professor in Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research is focused on soil physical properties and subsurface drainage water quality. Waring enjoys her research because her work can have a direct impact on the environment through the research of cover crops. In her time at ISU, she has put in many hours of fieldwork. It is working in the field where Waring says she has learned to appreciate the beauty and complexity of Iowa’s agricultural landscape.
Tim Neher is a second year master’s student at ISU ABE. His research focus lies in the transport of bacteria in runoff from agricultural fields that have manure applied to them. Neher is interested in discovering sustainable management opportunities that reduce the risk of bacteria impairment of downstream waterbodies and minimizes the risk of antibiotic resistance in the environment. He enjoys just about every outdoor activity (especially kayaking) and is passionate about responsible environmental stewardship for a healthy and sustainable future.
Andrew Craig is a master’s student at ISU ABE. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at the University of Iowa in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Following the completion of his engineering master’s degree, he worked as a staff research engineer at the IIHR – Hydroscience and Engineering Institute, located at the University of Iowa. While leading the design and project management of an Iowa State flume project, he made the acquaintance of Michelle Soupir, the associate chair for research and extension in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (ISU CALS). It was at this meeting that Craig became interested in Soupir’s research in land and water resources. This led him to pursue a doctoral degree at Iowa State. After completing his doctoral program, Craig hopes to couple his background in hydraulics, hydrology and water resources engineering with agricultural-based engineering research and practice.