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Student Research Projects

WRRI Funds graduate student researchers across the state working to address a broad range of topics in water resources.

Explore Funded Student Projects

The table below contains a list of funded student projects dating back to 2018. Use the search bar to search particular topics, researchers, or key words. If a final report is available, it has been provided as a hyperlink within the title column. For a list of projects funded prior to 2018, or to view a final report for one of these projects, contact John Fear (jmfear@ncsu.edu).

Project TitleResearcherAdvisorYear startedIn the News
Importance of Landfill Leachate as a Source of Biologically Available Nitrogen to North Carolina Coastal WatersElla MooreChristopher Osburn2025
Invasive Species and Precipitation Shifts Influence Disease Dynamics in Aquatic EcosystemsGlory KidimbuAriane Peralta and Fidisoa Rasambainarivo2025
Use of Meltblown Nonwoven Fabric for Stormwater Runoff TreatmentJaime CardenasKyana Young2025
Biomanipulation of Zooplankton to Reduce Eutrophication in B. Everett Jordan Lake, North CarolinaKaylee LuchanskyJoseph Covi2025
Time Series Radon-in-Water: An Eastern Wake County Well Water StudyMason HaleCarli Arendt2025
Expanding Coastal Invasion Frontiers: Examining the Impacts of Oyster Reef Restoration on the Success of Invasive Green Porcelain Crabs (Petrolisthes armatus)Mic SchulteApril Blakeslee2025
Determination of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal BloomsSamantha BellJason Surratt2025
Identification of Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in an NC Wastewater Treatment Plant and Factors that Affect Their Performance in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus RemovalAutumn RobinsonErin Field2024from WRRI
Assessing Perceptions of Salt Marsh in the Residential Landscape in Central Coastal North CarolinaMary-Margaret McKinneyRachel Gittman and Cynthia Grace-McCaskey2024from WRRI
What are the Odds? Probabilistic Flood Hazard Assessment for New Bern, North CarolinaJohn (Jack) BaerAntonia Sebastian2024from WRRI
Understanding Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses Related to Climate Change in Ocracoke, North CarolinaBevin Hardy2024from WRRI
Assessment and Mitigation of Microplastic Pollution in Treated Wastewater and Biosolids: A Focus on Primary and Secondary SolidsChideraa NdubuisiOlya Keen2024from WRRI
A Novel Approach to PFAS Quantification and Attribution in Freshwater Resources: Indicator Compounds in a Stormwater and Wastewater Dominated StreamJonathan (Jonny) Behrens, Duke University Emily Bernhardt2023from WRRI
Assessing the Impacts of Increased Salinity on Bald Cypress Growth in Forested Freshwater Tidal Wetlands along Smith Creek, NCKendra Devereux, UNC Wilmington Monica Rother and Andrea D. Hawkes2023from WRRI
Seasonality and Precipitation Effects on Nitrogen Processing in Urban Green InfrastructureColin Finlay, East Carolina University Ariane Peralta and Michael O'Driscoll2023from WRRI
Stormwater Diversion, Storage, and Treatment by Beaver-Enhanced Wetlands in Piedmont Urban WatershedsChris Norcross, NC State UniversityKarl Wegmann2023from WRRI
Leaky Leachate: PFAS Concentrations in Landfill-Impacted Communities in North CarolinaCharlotte Robbins, UNC Chapel Hill Courtney Woods2023from WRRI
Development of an Anaerobic Digestion Minimal Microbial Community and Community Resistance and Resilience in Response to PerturbationsSavanna Smith, NC State University Francis de los Reyes III2023from WRRI
Advancing Understanding of Flood Water Quality Distributions and Drivers through Statistical ModelingEmine Fidan, NC State UniversityNatalie Nelson2022from NC State BAE
Determining the Relative Contribution of Nuisance Flooding to the Risk Profiles of Estuarine Communities under Current and Future Climate ConditionsLauren Grimley, UNC Chapel HillAntonia Sebastian2022from WRRI
PFAS Removal from Natural Water through Electrodeionization Equipped with Novel PFAS Selective ResinsHolly Haflich, UNC Chapel HillOrlando Coronell2022from WRRI
Assessing Water Quality in the Upper Cape Fear Aquifer, a Potential Alternate Drinking Water Source for Chemours-Area ResidentsTiffany VanDerwerker, NC State UniversityDavid Genereux2022from WRRI
Evaluating Oyster Reef Restoration Configurations for Optimizing Ecological Success Wave Attenuation Against the Threat of Sea Level Rise and Boat WakesGeorgette Tso, East Carolina UniversitySiddharth Narayan2022from WRRI
Assessment of Pesticide Stability in Water and Analysis of Pesticide Degradates in Private Wells in North CarolinaNancy Alexander, NC State UniversityDetlef Knappe2021from WRRI
Assessing Temporal Variability of Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli in Surface Water Near Animal Feeding Operations
Tanvir Pasha, NC State UniversityAngela Harris2021from WRRI
Understanding the Flood Mitigation Benefits of Buyouts: A Hydrologic Assessment of Property Acquisition in North Carolina WatershedsHunter Quintal, UNC Chapel HillAntonia Sebastian2021from WRRI
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) as a Diagnostic Tool to Assist Groundwater Monitoring Recommendations from Local Health Departments to Private Well UsersHayden Rudd, NC State UniversityElizabeth Nichols2021from WRRI
Degradation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Using Hydroxyl Radical and Sulphate RadicalAdeola Sorinolu, UNC CharlotteMariya Munir2021from WRRI
Viability of Fungal Bioremediation for Treatment of Persistent Pesticides in North Carolina WatersLeah Weaver, NC State UniversityTarek Aziz2021from WRRI
Targeted Field Study of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in North Carolina Wastewater Impacted Watersheds
Sara Kamanmalek, UNC CharlotteJacelyn Rice-Boayue2021from ScienceDirect
Co-Treatment of Food Processing Wastewater with Municipal Treated WastewaterJonae Wood, NC A&T UniversityNiroj Aryal2021from WRRI
Validating Positive Openness Raster Data for Indicating Locations of Stream bed Incision and Stream bank Erosion in the Mine Creek Watershed, Raleigh, N.C.Layla El-Khoury, NC State UniversityBarbara Doll2021from WRRI
Unraveling the Effects of Grain Size and Moisture Content on the Linearity of Cohesive Soil Erosion: Implications for Predicting Streambank RetreatAlexis Swanson, NC State UniversityCelso Castro-Bolinaga2021from WRRI
Participatory Asset and Problem Mapping: A Citizen Science Approach for Documenting Post-Disaster Flooding and Priorities in Coastal North CarolinaOlivia Vila, NC State UniversityBethany Cutts2019from WRRI
Spatiotemporal Reconstruction of Historical Swine CAFO Spread in North Carolina and Connections to Water QualityLise Montefiore, NC State UniversityNatalie Nelson2019
from WRRI
Modeling and Predicting Drinking Water Contamination Risk in North Carolina to Enhance Community ResilienceRiley Mulhern, UNC Chapel HillJacqueline MacDonald Gibson2019from WRRI
Effects of Salinization on Mercury Bioavailability in Coastal Wetlands at Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, North CarolinaYener Ulus, UNC GreensboroMartin Tsui2019from WRRI
Sunlight-Mediated Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Treatment Wetlands and Surface WatersArpit Sardana, NC State UniversityTarek Aziz2019from WRRI
Green Infrastructure in Schools: Creating a Network for Stormwater Management and Student Engagement and Well-beingZhenzhen Zhang, NC State UniversityKathryn Stevenson2019from WRRI
A Watershed Model to Understand Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions to Support Sewer Utility Resilience at the Jacksonville N.C. Forest Water Re-Use FacilityNancy Gibson, NC State UniversityElizabeth Nichols2018
Design and Application of Cyclodextrin-Based Materials for the Treatment of Legacy and Emerging Perfluoroalkyl AcidsZachary Hopkins, NC State UniversityDetlef Knappe2018
Phytoplankton Nutritional Ecology and the Eutrophication Trajectory in a Piedmont Reservoir with Elevated AmmoniumNicole Lindor, NC State UniversityJoAnn Burkholder2018
Cometabolic Degradation of 1,4-Dioxane in Biologically Active Carbon Filters with Locally Enriched BiotaAmie McElroy, NC State UniversityDetlef Knappe2018
Electrochemical Mineralization of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic AcidVivek Pulikkal, UNC CharlotteMei Sun2018