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In a brightly lit room, someone fills up a clear glass with water from the sink.

Sep 27, 2023

NC WRRI Fellows Work to Improve Well Water Quality Through PFAS Research

BY EMMA SCARDINA Graduate students Tiffany VanDerwerker of North Carolina State University and Charlotte Robbins of UNC Chapel Hill are supporting rural communities through their research on PFAS in well water. VanDerwerker’s research considered an alternative water source for homes that have contaminated well water. Robbins’ project analyzes how PFAS leaks from landfills into surrounding…

Marsh at sunset. Sky appears in bands of pink, blue, and purple. Green marsh grass in the middle, and blue water at the bottom, with reflections of marsh grass.

Sep 18, 2023

Now Accepting Applications for Mountains to Sea Graduate Research Fellowship

For immediate release Contact: John Fear, jmfear@ncsu.edu or Kaitlin Tucker, ktucker@ncsu.edu The NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) and North Carolina Sea Grant are seeking applications for graduate student research projects. Graduate students in good academic standing and currently enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina are eligible to apply by 5 p.m.…

A screenshot showing a cartoon animation of two students talking. Off to the right side, large text states, "What makes water renewable, and how can we keep it that way?"

Aug 7, 2023

“Keeping Water Renewable” Lesson Plan Receives National Award

This year’s APEX Awards for Publication Excellence have honored Keeping Water Renewable: 5E Lesson, a free, standards-aligned lesson on renewable water for middle and high school students. The interactive blended lesson provides a thorough explanation of the water cycle, including how climate change and human interference affect water quality and availability and contains enough material for 10 to 12 class periods. The lesson was developed by PBS NC, in partnership with NC Water Resources Research Institute, North Carolina Sea Grant, and the NC Department of Environmental Quality. It is available on the PBS NC website.

Jul 19, 2023

The Road Less Traveled: An Academic Journey from Undergrad to Professor

Emine Fidan, former NC WRRI and NC Sea Grant Joint Funding recipient defended her dissertation in November 2022 and began her appointment as a professor in January 2023. When asked what advice she would give to other graduates, she said, “I would just say not to be discouraged by your failures in research. And that’s because I had so many. A huge part of my Ph.D. was just trying something new, finding out that it didn’t work, trying something else, and then reaching another obstacle.”

May 3, 2023

NC WRRI Releases New Strategic Plan, Highlights Research and Engagement Initiatives

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute recently released a new strategic plan to guide the program’s investments toward effective responses to the state’s immediate and long-term needs in water resources management. The updated plan is available on the NC WRRI website, along with a document highlighting research and engagement initiatives. “This plan represents input…

Apr 26, 2023

WRRI’s Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partnership Recognized for Environmental and Community Impacts

The Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partnership (WCWCP) received two awards from the City of Raleigh during the Earth Day Celebration on April 21 at Dix Park: The Raleigh Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that show environmental leadership and whose work acknowledges the relationship between the environment, economics, and social justice; and the…

A graphic image detailing sources that contribute to PFAS in water.

Apr 25, 2023

NC Urban Water Consortium-Funded Researcher Looks to Eliminate PFAS

Scientists in North Carolina and beyond continue to identify harmful effects of chemicals once considered useful and innovative — but those chemicals are now causing damage to our water systems and to our bodies. Now known as forever chemicals because of their persistent and lasting nature, these chemicals include PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that…

Apr 21, 2023

Walnut Creek in Raleigh Joins Urban Waters Federal Partnership

North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) is proud to be a partner in the collaborative work to address flooding, water quality issues, and related environmental injustices in the Walnut Creek watershed. The EPA’s official announcement designating Walnut Creek as an Urban Waters Federal Partner was made on Friday. EPA Press release follows. ——— Urban…

Person uses fishing pole to fish in ocean from a boat.

Apr 17, 2023

New Community Collaborative Projects Amplify Overlooked Stories, Engage Aspiring Scientists and More

Four new projects in North Carolina are launching this year as part of the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program (CCRG), administered by North Carolina Sea Grant and NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), in partnership with the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology, and Science (KIETS).

Apr 11, 2023

New NC WRRI Fellows to Consider Pressing Issues in Water, Engage Local Communities

Six graduate students across North Carolina recently began new fellowship projects. Four of these are funded by the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI), and the Urban Water Consortium and Stormwater Consortium, facilitated through NC WRRI, are each funding one project. Topics range from PFAS contamination in well water and streams, to green…