Since it was initiated in 2014, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute’s student support program has made more than 130 awards to DWFI Faculty Fellows supporting postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students on all four University of Nebraska campuses and invested $4.9 million, of which $4.2 million has been matched one-to-one by faculty. The awards provide stipends to students working on projects that contribute to the institute’s mission to have a lasting impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources.
Congratulations to the newest round of student support grantees who began their work in Fall 2025:
- Guillermo Balboa, Research Assistant Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: APSIM Model and crop vegetation indices to improve Water and Nitrogen Use efficiency in Nebraska Student: TBD
- Andrea Basche, Associate Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Evaluating the potential of perennial cover crops in corn-soybean rotations to improve carbon intensity and environmental outcomes Student: Somdatta Achar, Ph.D. Agronomy, Specialization: Cropping Systems
- Patricio Grassini, Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Assessing potassium limitation in major agroecosystems of the world Student: Lucia Bonfanti, Ph.D., Agronomy, Specialization: Crop Physiology and Crop Production
- Javed Iqbal, Assistant Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Improving UNL Nitrogen Recommendations through 4Rs Management for Enhanced Crop Yields and Groundwater Quality Student: Anmol Singh, for a Ph.D. in Agronomy, Specialization: Soil and Water Sciences
- Jesse Korus, Associate Professor, UNL School of Natural Resources, for the project: Field-scale mapping to illuminate subsurface nitrate processes Student: Katie Liske, for a Ph.D. in NR Sciences
- Xu Li, Professor, Professor, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering, for the project: The Transmission and Evolution of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Water Environment Student: Edwin Antonio Ojeda Olivares, for a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Yusong Li, Professor, Professor, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering, for the project: Understanding the Exposure Trade-Offs of Groundwater Nitrate Contamination and Bottled Water Consumption in Rural Communities Student: Cesar Augusto Gomez Pena, for a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Weizhen Liang, Research Assistant Professor, UNL Biological Systems Engineering, for the project: Growing Precision Engineering Systems for Nebraska Grape Vineyards and Water Management Student: Chi-En Chiang, for a Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering
- Joe Luck, Professor, UNL Biological Systems Engineering, for the project: Real-Time Precision Fertilizer Application in Corn Crops Using Drone Technology and Remote Sensors Student: Kalynn Meyer, for a Master’s in Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering
- Bijesh Maharjan, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Optimizing Nitrogen Management for Sustainable Dry Edible Bean and Sugar Beet Production under Full and Deficit Irrigation Student: Sujani De Silva, for a Ph.D. in Agronomy, Specialization: Soil and Water Sciences
- Daniel Uden, Assistant Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Hydrologic Ecosystem Service Monitoring and Education in Conservation Agriculture Student: Samuel Nshutiyayesu, for a Ph.D. in Agronomy
These students join the 22 returning students who will continue their research and receive DWFI funding, bringing the total number of DWFI supported students to 33 total for the 2025-2026 academic year.
View the full list »