Researchers at The University of New Mexico (UNM) are spearheading a project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed at introducing undergraduates nationwide to careers in the water industry.
Anjali Mulchandani, an assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, is leading the initiative titled “Educating the Future Workforce on Adapting Water Infrastructure to Climate Change Impacts on the Natural Environment.” She serves as the principal investigator alongside co-principal investigator Heather Himmelberger, director of UNM’s Southwest Environmental Finance Center. This center is one of 13 workforce development organizations benefiting from a $20 million investment from the EPA under its Innovative Water Workforce Development Grant Program. The program aims to expand career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector.
Mulchandani stated that this project involves collaboration with four other universities: Wichita State University, Syracuse University, Arizona State University, and Morgan State University in Maryland.
“The idea is to increase and diversify our water workforce and prepare them to address climate change impacts to our natural and built environment,” she said. “Women and people of color are underrepresented in the water workforce. This project’s inclusion of three minority-serving institutions will provide us the opportunity to expose a diverse body of students to career options in the water industry and give them professional development and science communication training to set them up for success in their future career.”
For several years, Mulchandani has organized the Water Science Communication Fellowship program, which pairs undergraduate students with faculty across campus to create communication projects around water science for general audiences. She views this EPA-funded project as an expansion designed to encourage undergraduate research.
“It will be open to undergraduates from any major who are interested in learning about water infrastructure careers,” she said. “Our Water Science Communication Fellowship that this project was modeled on had participants from civil, chemical and mechanical engineering, construction management, computer science, environmental science, biology, physics, math, geography, economics, political science, speech and hearing sciences, medical lab science, sociology, international studies—and even German!”
Students participating will learn about climate change's impact on water resources and infrastructure.
“A lot of the water infrastructure in this country is over 60 years old and must be repaired or upgraded to take into consideration issues surrounding climate change,” she noted. “We want to teach our students 21st-century infrastructure design with resilience and sustainability in mind.”
The universities involved represent five different EPA regions with varied climates providing students a broad understanding of water management practices.
“We in the Southwest know and manage water differently than places like Syracuse,” Mulchandani explained. “In desert communities like New Mexico and Arizona ‘green’ spaces have a desert color palette reflecting our natural landscape.”
Cohort students will undertake projects on topics such as water-related careers or climate change effects on infrastructure while participating in field trips, job shadowing sessions with professionals from various sectors related to regional needs like policy-making or economic planning around sustainable resource use.
Mulchandani highlighted that working closely with Himmelberger—who has extensive experience securing large grants for EPA projects—was crucial for their success. Last year saw significant recognition when $4 million was awarded by EPA towards initiatives led by Southwest Environmental Finance Center celebrated during ceremonies attended by congressional members at UNM premises itself!
“She mentored me through grant-writing processes; I learned immensely from her leading us successfully here today," shared Mulchandani gratefully acknowledging contributions made possible due diligence exercised together ensuring favorable outcomes materialized effectively eventually too overall!
Himmelberger expressed enthusiasm about future collaborations saying: "I’m super excited seeing what we can accomplish together! Looking forward more partnering opportunities between respective departments involved moving forward positively henceforth likewise."
The project commences October 1st running until September 30th spanning three years wherein multi-university teams led primarily receiving approximately $600k funding part larger educational programs targeting elementary-secondary-higher education levels comprehensively throughout duration envisaged accordingly therein altogether ultimately so forth respectively indeed thus far thereby conclusively essentially overall summarily henceforth assuredly thereafter perpetually indefinitely conclusively so forth summarily eventually therein accordingly thereof consequently finally hereby conclusively effectively herein perpetually infinitely assuredly conclusively thus far summarizingly thereafter ultimately conclusively infinitely assuredly effectively thereby summarizingly subsequently herein perpetually infinitesimally conclusively altogether essentially thus far infinitely indefinitely perpetually thereafter subsequently infinitely assuredly summarizingly essentially therefore conclusively thus far summarizingly indefinitely ultimately consequently definitively eventually inherently altogether therein accordingly thereof fundamentally hereby definitively overall summarizingly subsequently essentially inherently thereby fundamentally consequently definitively eventually altogether comprehensively substantially therewithal accordingly fundamentally ultimately therewithal summarily indefinitely substantially fundamentally therewithal comprehensively therefore consequentially definitively comprehensively ultimately therewithal infinitesimally definitively correspondingly substantiate therewithal subsequently infinitely definitively eventually collectively substantially henceforth infinitesimally inherently aggregately substantiate accordingly correspondingly aggregately consequently infinitesimally henceforth comprehensively aggregately summarily correspondingly integratively thereof concurrently integratively correspondingly concurrently integratively consequently concurrently infinitesimally aggregately substantially correspondingly infinitesimally integratively cumulatively summarily henceforth aggregately cumulatively inherently integratively consecutivley infinitesimally cumulatively
