The interactions between physical and chemical processes that control mass transport in groundwater are of particular interest to me. My students and I employed a combination of field studies through which we can observe the effects of solute transport and transformation processes in real time, core and outcrop studies that provide data on hydrologic and geochemical properties of aquifer materials, and numerical modeling with which we can test our hypotheses about how groundwater systems operate. We have applied these techniques to questions related to groundwater/surface water interactions, naturally occurring and anthropogenic contaminants in shallow and deeper aquifers, and groundwater as a resource for both humans and ecosystems.
I served a term as Department Chair from 2005-08. Prior to retirement I also participated in a number of University programs including the Geological Engineering Program and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, where I served as the chair of the Water Resources Management Program from 1995–99. I served as faculty co-director of the undergraduate Women in Science and Engineering Residential Learning Community from 2003–05.