I am a hydrogeologist interested in improving how we use models (numerical, conceptual, data-driven, analytical, etc.) to make effective, risk-informed decisions around groundwater sustainability.

Groundwater comprises over 90% of liquid freshwater globally, supporting diverse human and environmental uses and serving as a crucial buffering resource when/where more easily accessible surface water resources are not available. Climate change is expected to drive a greater reliance on groundwater as surface water supplies become more variable and diminished, which will exacerbate the already existing effects of groundwater over-exploitation: subsidence, quality degradation, stranded wells, streamflow capture, etc. 

As much as I love groundwater models, the solutions to these problems will largely be political, social, and economic ones. But models will play a crucial role in providing stakeholders with a complete picture of future conditions given various management actions. Providing this complete picture is challenging because most groundwater systems are under-constrained by observations and model predictions are therefore deeply uncertain. My research leverages inverse methods, evolutionary optimization, emulation, and assimilation of novel data streams to advance the state of practice of groundwater decision support modeling, with a vision towards meeting the needs of 21^st century groundwater management problems.

 This research will be strongly interdisciplinary, will involve collaborations with local, state, and federal agencies as well as industry scientists and will take advantage of several state-of-the-art research facilities housed at UNM, including, Center for Advanced Research Computing (CARC), Center for Advancement of Spatial Informatics research & Education, Earth Data Analysis Center (EDAC).

Note to Prospective Graduate Students:

Why groundwater?

Before joining UNM, I worked in environmental consulting as well as the with the USGS. Groundwater issues are not going away; in fact, they are only getting more challenging (see above about climate change making us more reliant on groundwater). Now more than ever does society need hydrogeologists entering the workforce, but everyone I spoke to in my non-academic positions lament the fact that the number of hydrogeologists graduating each year has been decreasing. So, if you want job security and the ability to work on challenging and intellectually stimulating projects that truly benefit society, consider becoming a hydrogeologist!

Please reach out to me if you are a prospective student interested in pursuing a M.S. or Ph.D. in the field of Hydrology/Hydrogeology. I am always excited to discuss research ideas and career trajectories with motivated students.