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FY2027 Student support awards

Graduate Students Round Thirteen (first awarded in 2026):

  • Jessica Corman, Associate Professor, UNL School of Natural Resources, for the project: Phage Therapy for Lakes: An in situ option for water quality management? Student: Jace Miller, for a Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences, Complex Biosystems
  • Abia Katimbo, Assistant Professor, UNL Biological Systems Engineering, for the project: Evaluating Irrigation and Nitrogen Requirements in Irrigated Corn following Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Production and Groundwater Management Student: Martha Nabaggala, for a D. in Biological Systems Engineering
  • Kristina Kintziger, Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Health and Environment, UNMC Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, for the project: Mapping the Nexus: Assessing the Health Impacts of Compound Heat-Drought-Water Vulnerability across Nebraska's Agricultural Landscapes Student: Ruhma Khan, for a Ph.D. in Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health (starting Jan. 1, 2027)
  • David Manning, Research Assistant Professor, UNO Biology, for the project: Investigating the Prevalence and Effects of Antibiotic-Resistant Gene Promoting Factors in Freshwater Microbial Communities Student: Jackson Ramold, for a Master’s in Biology
  • Aaron Mittelstet, Associate Professor, UNL Biological Systems Engineering, for the project: Using a Coupled Surface Water/Groundwater Model Informed by Groundwater Age, Geophysics, and Vadose Zone Coring to Identify Type and Placement of Management Practices to Reduce Legacy Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations Student: Amit Topno, for a D. in Biological Systems Engineering
  • Julie Petersen, Assistant Professor, UNMC Epidemiology, for the project: Anomalies, NO2/NO3 Sourced from Water and Diet, and Effect ModifieRS: The ANSWERS study Student: Muskan Ahuja, for a Ph.D. in Epidemiology
  • Martha Rhoades, Research Assistant Professor, UNL School of Natural Resources, for the project: Empowering future scientific leaders in agriculture, water quality and health  Student: Beenu Sareena, for a M.S./Ph.D. in Statistics
  • Eleanor Rogan, Professor, UNMC Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, for the project: SEEDS: Study of Environmental Exposures and Disease in Rural Communities Student: Sandhya Lamsal, for a Ph.D. in Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health and Toxicology
  • Tirthankar Roy, John E. Olsson Associate Professor, UNL Civil & Environmental Engineering, for the project: Detailed investigation of flood risk impacts on public health across the Contiguous US Student: Revathi Valiya Veettil, for a D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Harkamal Walia, Professor, UNL Agronomy & Horticulture, for the project: Elucidating the impact of nitrogen application on post-drought-stress recovery and grain nutritional and safety traits Student: Disha Bannur Ramu, for a M.S. in Agronomy

Hubbard Fellowship:

  • Krista Brown, Assistant Professor, UNMC Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, for the project: Developing Evidence-Based Communication Strategies for Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water: Integrating Public Perception, Environmental, And Health Data Student: Ruth Mencia, for a Ph.D. in Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health and Toxicology
  • Kendra Clark, Assistant Professor, UNMC Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, for the project: From Drinking Water to the Ovary: PFOS Exposure and Disrupted Ovarian Endocrine Function Student: Rasha Ghorab, for a Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine

Graduate Students Round Twelve (first awarded in 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: Murilo Rampazzo Favoretto, for a Master’s in Agronomy, Specialization: Digital Agriculture
  • 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, for a Ph.D. in 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, for a Ph.D. in 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Jeff Westrop, Assistant Geoscientist, 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

Graduate Students Round Eleven (first awarded in 2024):

  • Bruce Dvorak, Ray Fauss Professor, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering and Biological Systems Engineering, for the project: Utilizing Fermentation HAP Air Emissions Data to Improve Ethanol Sustainability  Student: Mahyar Mahdavi Hezaveh, Ph.D., Environmental Engineering
  • Francisco Munoz-Arriola, Associate Professor, UNL School of Natural Resources, for the project: Predictability of surface water-groundwater resilience to climate and contaminant forcings  Student: Rimsha Hasan, Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences
  • Bing Wang, Associate Professor, UNL Food Science and Technology, for the project: Risk-based Assessment and Criteria Specification of the Microbial Safety of Greywater Reuse in Food Crop Irrigation Student: Andrew Stiven Ortiz Balsero, Ph.D., Food Science and Technology

Hubbard Fellowship:

  • Nirupam Aich, Associate Professor, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering, for the project: Investigating the Leaching and Fate of Forever Chemical Pollutant Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Land-applied Biosolids in Agricultural Watersheds Student: Anika Azme, Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Elizabeth VanWormer, Associate Professor, Director of Nebraska One Health, for the project: Assessing neonicotinoid and fungicide exposure in wildlife sentinels in eastern Nebraska: A One Health study on agrochemical contamination linked to the AltEn facilty Student: Shabani Muller, D., Natural Resources

Undergraduate (annual awards):

  • Platte Basin Timelapse Project: Brody Biberdorf, Production Intern; Trevor Johnson, Production Intern; Olivia Mackrill, Production Intern; Tyler Newlin, Social Media Intern; Sophia Rojas, Production Intern; Victoria Shulte, Production Intern; Hanna Weaver, Production Intern; advised by Michael Forsberg, Research Assistant Professor, UNL School of Natural Resources and Producer & Project Manager, Mariah Lundgren, UNL School of Natural Resources, and Michael Farrell, DWFI Faculty Fellow.