By Mike Clemens '15
Siena College Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kate Meierdiercks, Ph.D. recently received a research grant from the New York State Water Resources Institute and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program to study the effectiveness of storm water management in New York State.
The $9,975 grant will be used to fund an undergraduate research project that will enable a Siena student to gain valuable field experience this summer.
“I think that it’s really an exciting opportunity for a student to get to work on an externally funded project,” said Meierdiercks. “This is going to be a project where the student can really take ownership of the work and I hope that it will be a rewarding experience.”
The student researcher, who has yet to be chosen, will be actively involved with a variety of research methods including field data collection, modeling and geospatial analyses, all of which will lead to a greater understanding of how storm water is managed in the Kromma Kill Watershed.
“The models that the student makes will allow us to take an existing watershed and hypothetically change its characteristics to see how they impact flooding,” said Meierdiercks. “The goal is to use this information to optimize the configuration of the watershed to most effectively reduce flooding the pollution.”
Some of the research completed during this 10-week student project will be incorporated into future environmental studies courses at Siena, allowing the student to contribute to a better understanding of the environment and the education of his or her peers. These unique experiences will be of great value to the student’s career as well.
“This grant will allow a student to show potential employers that they can work independently on a relatively involved project,” said Meierdiercks. “That is really important in the field and this is a great way for a student to develop those skills further.”
