Poster Session Presents Engaging Opportunity for Students

The March 28th Water Resources Research Center Annual Conference poster session provided a unique opportunity for UA students to showcase their research and interact with the diverse mix of conference participants. Among the posters presenters were two WRRC student research assistants, Erin Gray and Bailey Kennett. Although their research areas related to water are quite different, both found the opportunity a rewarding platform to engage with water sector professionals.

Erin Gray, student assistant for Arizona Project WET, performs undergraduate research under Dr. Jen McIntosh of the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. Erin uses water stable isotopes and water chemistry to investigate the source and seasonality of water within wetlands in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), situated in the Cienega Creek Watershed southeast of Tucson. When presenting her findings to conference participants, Erin gained experience communicating science to a general audience, a skill she hopes to develop while continuing to focus on surface water in LCNCA as a student in the accelerated Master's program.

Bailey Kennett, a graduate research assistant in the Water RAPIDS program, presented on the 2015 Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA) petition, rejection, and petition for reconsideration processes in Cochise County’s San Simon Sub-basin. As the Conference theme, Irrigated Agriculture in Arizona: A Fresh Perspective, attracted agricultural representatives from across the state, Bailey had the opportunity speak with area farmers and hear local perspectives about recent agricultural trends and potential groundwater management strategies.