Outcomes

Impacts of this grant

Impact on students by the numbers:

  • Number of MS Students Funded – 7
  • Number of MS Students Graduated – 4
  • Number of USDA Interns Hired – 22
  • Number of Student Field/Training Days – 6 
  • Number of Professional Development Opportunities for Students – 8
  • Number of Students Completing Course – 56 (50 at ASU, 6 at MCC)
  • Number of Student Honor’s Projects – 2

MS Student Projects

  • Chrisovalantou Karakozis (MS Student) – Evaluation of the spatial patterns of agriculture in the U.S.
  • Emma Bonham (MS Environmental Engineering 2022) – Can organic growers meet nutrient demands with local organic residuals? Advisors: Muenich, Williams
  • Sarah (Zinke) Garland (MS Environmental Engineering 2021) – Microbial populations in ponded wastewater sediments. Advisors: Conroy-Ben; Williams
  • Noah Rudko (MS Hydrosystems Engineering 2021) – Modeling overflow and seepage to groundwater from manure lagoons. Advisors: Muenich; Williams
  • Emily Crowder (MS student) – Microbial populations in ponded wastewater sediments. Advisors: Conroy-Ben; Williams
  • Billy Krukowski (MS Hydrosystems Engineering 2020) – Review of the Quantitative Tradeoffs of Using Organic Residuals in Arid Agriculture. Advisors: Muenich; Williams
  • Junpei Hara (MS Civil Engineering 2019) – Antibiotic resistance in tertiary treated wastewater. Advisor: Conroy-Ben

Student Intern Projects

2022

2021

  • Michael Roman (ASU) – Design and implementation of an irrigation system for an urban farm food forest; Advisors: Muenich; Williams
  • Jose Becerra (ASU) – Design and implementation of an irrigation system for an urban farm food forest; Advisors: Muenich; Williams
  • Shannon Malinda (ASU) – Implementation of an urban aquaponics system; Advisor: Brooks
  • Qingyun Chen (ASU) – Implementation of an urban aquaponics system-yield impacts; Advisor: Brooks
  • Suraya Sidique (ASU) – Fate and transport of pharmaceuticals under varying management practices; Advisors: Williams, Conden
  • Carlos Zamora (ASU) – Fate and transport of pharmaceuticals under varying management practices; Advisors: Williams, Conde

2020

  • Suraya Sidique (ASU) – Development of a phosphorus budget for a managed aquifer recharge site; Advisors: Muenich, Williams
  • Wesley Colvin (ASU) – Tetrabromobisphenol A and Crops: Examining Effluent Irrigation Impacts in Agriculture; Advisors: Conden, Williams
  • Jeanene Hanley (MCC) – Tetrabromobisphenol A and Crops: Examining Effluent Irrigation Impacts in Agriculture; Advisors: Conden, Williams
  • Marie Bear (ASU) – Development of a stakeholder-driven water usage estimator for Verde Valley agriculture; Advisors: Muenich, Williams
  • Emma Bonham (ASU) – Comparison of water used in backyard gardens and mesic landscaping; Advisors: Muenich, Williams
  • Samantha Stone (ASU) – Comparison of water used in backyard gardens and mesic landscaping; Advisors: Muenich, Williams

2019

Publications

  1. Conroy-Ben, O. and Crowder, E*., 2020. Unregulated and Emerging Contaminants in Tribal Water. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, (169), pp.92-100.
  2. Tiesort C, Bonham E*, Muenich RL, Zanin A. Irrational Rationality in Organizational Decision-Making: Discursive Logics and Material Constraints of U.S. Urban Desert Farmers. (in revisions). Journal of Applied Communication Research.
  3. Rudko N*, Garcia M, Xu T, Muenich RL. (in review). Development of a Point-Source Model to Improve Simulations of Manure Lagoon Interactions with the Environment. Journal of Environmental Management.
  4. Bonham E*, Zanin A, Williams C, Muenich RL. (in prep). Analysis of existing organic farming nutrient management practices: Implications for sustainable agriculture. 
  5. Miralha L, Sidique S*, Muenich RL. 2022. The spatial organization of CAFOs and its relationship to water quality in the United States. Journal of Hydrology, in press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128301

Presentations 

  1. Bonham E*, Williams C, Zanin A, Muenich RL. An Assessment of Organic Farm Nutrient Management. ASU MORE Symposium, April 22, 2022.
  2. Becerra J*, Roman M*, Wann J, Williams C, Muenich RL. Water is Our Teacher and Future. Project Confluence Final Presentations, April 14, 2022.
  3. Bonham E*, Williams C, Zanin A, Muenich RL. An Assessment of Organic Farm Nutrient Management. SEBE Graduate Student Symposium, February 11, 2022. Received an honorable mention prize.
  4. Rudko N*, Muenich RL, Garcia ME, Xu T. Hydrologic and water quality modeling of a CAFO dairy lagoon. American Geophysical Union, Virtual Meeting, Dec 1-17, 2020.
  5. Breure T*, Williams C, Muenich RL, Conroy-Ben O. Biochar removal of E. coli in arid agricultural lands. Virtual ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meeting, November 9-13, 2020.
  6. Rudko N*, Muenich R, Garcia M. Development of a CAFO Lagoon Module to Advance Manure Management. American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting, July 13-15, 2020. Virtual.
  7. Williams C, Muenich R, Conroy-Ben O. Competitive Sorption of Pharmaceuticals to Soil. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meeting, San Antonio, TX, Nov. 10-13, 2019.
  8. Muenich RL. Quantifying urban and agricultural connections over space and time. Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors, Tempe, AZ, May 14-16, 2019.
  9. Muenich, Rebecca, Otakuye Conroy-Ben, Clinton Williams, and Peter Conden. The nexus of agricultural and urban trade-offs: Enhancing interdisciplinary education and research to create emerging opportunities in urban agriculture. Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, Tempe, AZ, Jan. 11, 2019.

*indicates student working on grant

Impact on stakeholder communities by the numbers

  • Number of Stakeholder Advisory Board Members – 18
  • Number of Advisory Board Meetings – 4
  • Number of Engagement Events – 1 (more than 115 impacted)
  • Number of Student-Led Webinars – 4
  • Number of Outreach Activities – 2

 

Grants Submitted to USDA from ASU after Project Activities – 9