Kathleen Johnson, a G³⁶⁰ MASc student working with Dr. Beth Parker, is one of the 14 graduate students featured in the University of Guelph 3MT 2020 Final, an opportunity for graduate students to present their research in three minutes or less. Her presentation focuses on her thesis work related to “Understanding Groundwater in the City of Guelph.” Kathleen was one of top two winners for the College of Engineering and Physical Science 3MT competition in March 2020 to advance to the university competition final, which is now virtual. A panel of judges will decide who advances to the Regional Finals to be hosted virtually by the University of Windsor in September. You can vote for your favourite presentation and help decide who will receive the People’s Choice Award. View all of the videos, including Kathleen’s here. Voting is open from June 29 to July 12.
Category: Announcements
New Cecil Day Family Center for International Groundwater Innovation Announced by Mercer University
G³⁶⁰ collaborator, Mercer University, recently announced the establishment of the Cecil Day Family Center for International Groundwater Innovation. The new center, led by Dr. Michael MacCarthy, will accelerate efforts in the Mercer On Mission program and the School of Engineering to provide access to clean water to the world’s most water-poor communities. The Center will focus on three core components – household self-supply, small community water systems and global groundwater innovation. The G³⁶⁰ group is excited to move into a new phase of collaborative research with Dr. MacCarthy and his group and congratulate them on this exciting news!
To learn more about the Cecil Day Family Center for International Groundwater Innovation read the full press release here.
Sophisticated Groundwater Science Supported by Supreme Court Ruling
Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal Clean Water Act applies to pollution of groundwater that flows to nearby surface waters so long as it is equivalent to direct discharge, strengthening the need for sophisticated groundwater science to help inform decisions on regulating water pollution.
“Computer models coupled with direct observations of water flow, pollution levels, and geology can predict how chemicals are likely to flow and interact with the chemistry of surrounding rocks. But ‘there are huge uncertainties to this,’ says Thomas Harter, who studies groundwater pollution from California farms. ‘It’s not unlike trying to predict the weather.’ (During oral argument of the case in November 2019, however, Justice Stephen Breyer remarked that briefs laying out the science of tracking groundwater pollution had impressed him. ‘The scientists really convinced me they’re geniuses and they can trace all kinds of things,’ he said)”.
To learn more about the Supreme Court ruling, read the full article at ScienceMag.org.
The 2020 Newsletter from G³⁶⁰ is here!
In association with UN World Water Day on March 22, we bring you positive news on our G³⁶⁰ Institute 2019 projects, involving local and international activities focused on groundwater resource protection and remediation. Our multi-disciplinary field-focused efforts in collaboration with site owners, groundwater technology, service companies, and government sponsors truly set us apart. We appreciate everyone’s contributions, from funding to on-the-ground efforts using expert knowledge to collect novel datasets and their interpretations. The current situation with COVID-19 and social distancing is redirecting our early spring field plans toward data analysis and writing theses and papers, however we remain productive with our 2020 research activities.
The G³⁶⁰ Institute for Groundwater Research is proud to share our 2020 newsletter! Click here to learn about our newest team members, our outreach activities, awards, graduations, publications and our many projects and successes over the past year.
Ground Water Canada Features Upcoming Plans for the G³⁶⁰ BAFF
Dr. Beth Parker was recently featured in Ground Water Canada Magazine after being interviewed on her vision for the on-campus Bedrock Aquifer Field Facility (BAFF). Funding was approved earlier this year, and the new, research-focused, educational facility will highlight groundwater and serve as a hub for the public and professionals alike.
Read the full Q-and-A with Dr. Parker on G³⁶⁰ and the BAFF here: https://www.groundwatercanada.com/q-and-a-with-beth-parker/