Over 300 participants attended the 2025 WRRI Annual Conference, which took place in Raleigh on March 19 and 20 and featured engaging talks and presentations on water-related issues from researchers and practitioners across the state.
The event included 39 poster presentations, 15 lightning talks, and additional oral presentations and panel discussions over 6 concurrent sessions. WRRI would like to thank all attendees and speakers for their participation and their insightful presentations and posters, without which the conference would not have been possible!
Oral presentations covered topics including wastewater management, coastal water quality, water policy and regulation, science writing, citizen science, and more.
Opening panel covers misinformation and scientific communication
Our first plenary session, moderated by our own Rebecca Jones, focused on managing misinformation and building trust while working with communities. The panel featured speakers Brian Southwell, Barbara Doll, and Stacey Feken.
Panelists shared strategies for communicating scientific knowledge and working with communities to accomplish shared goals. From combating misinformation to establishing a rapport with concerned citizens by taking their perspectives seriously, panelists and audience members engaged in a stimulating discussion about the role of science communication in achieving desired outcomes in water resources.
DEQ secretary gives opening remarks, presenter covers artificial intelligence applications in water resources
Secretary Reid Wilson of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) offered opening remarks on the second day of our conference. Wilson spoke about the challenges and opportunities communities in North Carolina face related to water quality, flooding, and more.
Our day two plenary session featured Dr. Branko Kerkez, Arthur F. Thurnau Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. Kerkez’ presentation, titled “The Future is Now: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Water Systems” provided a clear-eyed overview of the state of machine learning in the water resources field. Demystifying this complex topic by providing real-world examples of the applications of these tools, Kerkez demonstrated how new technologies can be used to make sense of data and inform planning and resource management decisions.
Poster presentation winners
Our judges narrowed down almost forty poster presentations to our top three picks, plus one honorable mention. Posters covered topics including well contamination, wastewater treatment, and more.
- 1st place: Maggie Pipkin, “Addressing Private Well Contamination in Sampson County, NC”
- 2nd place: Chideraa Ndubuisi, “Assessment and Mitigation of Microplastic Pollution in Treated Wastewater and Biosolids: A Focus on Primary and Secondary Solids”
- 3rd place: Bryn Fleming, “Use of Amino Acid Fluorescence to Predict Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in Natural Waters”
- Honorable mention: Daniel Reed, “The Spatial and Temporal Trends of PFAS in Tributary Streams in the Falls Lake Watershed From 2020 to 2021”
Lightning talk winners
The conference facilitated 11 engaging, informative lightning talks. Of these, we chose one prize winner and one honorable mention from the student presentations.
- Winner: Christopher Oates, “Surface Water Nutrient Monitoring in Agriculturally-Intensive Regions of the U.S.: Current Status and Needs for Expansion”
- Runner-up: Amanda Van Pelt, “The Significance of Large Storms on Pollutant Loading in SCMs”
Thanks to our sponsor, the North Carolina Water Resources Association, for sponsoring the student poster presentation and lightning talk awards!
Read more about the panels and sessions, winning posters, and lightning talks in our conference program.
Looking forward to next year
The 2026 WRRI conference will take place March 25th and 26th at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, NC. We look forward to seeing you there!
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