REU Site: Water sustainability in the urban environment: Improving the sustainable use of water through interdisciplinary research

本科生（REU）网站的研究经验的目的是培养学生在干研究项目的重点是水在城市环境中的可持续利用。随着人口的不断增长，特别是在城市地区，对水资源的需求日益增加。因此，必须更好地了解如何以可持续的方式利用这一有限的资源。REU学生参与者将调查人类与水文环境的相互作用如何影响城市水资源的可持续性。该项目的跨学科性质说明了科学在调查这一环境问题的各个方面的多样性，包括新出现的污染物，城市森林，水再利用和水基础设施的恢复力。在整个过程中，REU学生在导师和课程的帮助下，将培养假设生成，设计和进行实验以及分析，合成和交流数据的技能。该REU站点的目标是调查城市环境的人类-水文界面，旨在改善最佳管理实践，从而更可持续地利用城市沃茨。为了实现这一目标，REU网站将采取跨学科的方法。几个以物理水文学和生物学为基础的研究项目将调查污染物进入天坑湖泊和沃茨的存在、结果和季节性流量。城市水文学的研究人员将研究城市森林和树冠如何减少雨水径流对水道的污染。一个环境化学项目将测量废水中阻燃剂的水平、化学概况和潜在来源。两个环境工程项目将研究改善饮用水处理的新方法。最后，提高供水弹性的最佳管理做法将是人类学项目的重点。在REU结束时，学生将能够在区域/国家会议上展示和交流他们的研究成果，并打算在未来的学术期刊上发表。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The purpose of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site is to train students in STEM research projects focused on the sustainable use of water in urban environments. With a growing population, particularly in urban areas, there is increasing demand on water resources. Consequently, it is critical to better understand how this finite resource can be used in a sustainable manner. The REU student participants will investigate how the human interaction with the hydrological environment impacts the sustainability of urban water resources. The interdisciplinary nature of this project illustrates the diversity of science in investigating the various aspects of this environmental issue, including emerging contaminants, urban forest, water reuse, and resilience of water infrastructure. Throughout this process the REU students, with the help of their mentors and coursework, will develop skills for hypotheses generation, design and conduct experiments, as well as analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating their data. The goal of this REU Site is to investigate the human-hydrological interface for urban environments with the aim of improving best management practices leading to more sustainable use of urban waters. To achieve this goal, the REU Site will take an interdisciplinary approach. Several research projects based in physical hydrology and biology will investigate the presence, fate and seasonal flux of contaminants into sinkhole lakes and well waters. Researchers in urban hydrology will examine how urban forests and tree canopy reduce stormwater runoff pollution of waterways. An environmental chemistry project will measure levels, chemical profiles, and potential sources of flame retardants in wastewater. Two environmental engineering projects will investigate novel methods of improving drinking water treatment. Finally, the best management practices of improving water provision resiliency will be the focus of the anthropology project. By the end of the REU the students will be able to present and communicate their research results at regional/national conferences with the intent of future publication in academic journals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.