Interdisciplinary Programs
Water Science and Policy
A Message from the Founding Director
Water is a valuable resource that is critical for the health, vitality, and long-term sustainability of all natural ecosystems. For humans, water plays an essential role in food and energy production, transportation, and recreation.
Worldwide, however, water resources are at a risk. Unsustainable population growth, land-use changes, pollution, and global climate change all threaten the distribution, quantity, and quality of the water on which all life depends.
Protecting and preserving our water resources requires that we take a “big picture” approach that addresses where water comes from, where it goes, how it travels, how it is used by living things, what’s in it, and how to remediate problems and develop policies to protect water.
The interdisciplinary program in Water Science & Policy educates students to address the complex challenges that we face today; to develop solutions that are socially acceptable, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable; and to be true stewards of our environment.
We invite you to join us in our endeavors to ensure that all of Earth’s inhabitants, now and into the future, have adequate supplies of clean, healthy water.
Dr. Shreeram Inamdar
Professor of Watershed Hydrology and Biogeochemistry
By choosing to study Water Science & Policy at the University of Delaware, you will be embarking on an exciting intellectual journey that will challenge you to synthesize knowledge from a number of different fields. No matter what aspect of water you choose as your research focus, you’ll be encouraged to look at how it intertwines with other natural and human aspects of water quality and quantity.
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Research showcase
November 29, 2023 | Written by Dante LaPentaNearly 40 graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and undergraduate students descended upon the Townsend Hall Commons to showcase their research and internship work at the Fall 2023 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Student Research Symposium. The students summarized their findings to judges and curious University of Delaware faculty and staff. -
Susan Barton: Fall lawn and leaf management
October 30, 2023 | Written by SciLineSusan Barton, a professor and extension specialist in ornamental horticulture, with the department of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware, was recently interviewed by SciLine, a nonpartisan organization that works with journalists to include science in their stories. Barton spoke about why mulching leaves instead of removing them can help lawns and gardens; why you shouldn't bag leaves; and other advice for how to care for your lawns in the fall. -
Unlocking the secrets of plant cell communication
October 24, 2023 | Written by Katie PeikesNew paper from University of Delaware researchers provides fascinating insights into the intricate world of plant cell communication.