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News Archives
CE Professor Mark Stone Receives NSF CAREER Award
April 30, 2013
Mark Stone, Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering, was selected to receive a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. The award, which includes a substantial grant to support research over a five-year period, is given to promising young faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of both education and research.
Stone’s research team will use “river forensics” to reconstruct historical river conditions dating back over 100 years using computer models. The models will be used to describe flood waves as various river engineering projects were implemented throughout the middle Rio Grande valley. The project will also include important outreach activities involving the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) and the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI).
The research is underway because humans have long attempted to exert control over rivers to satisfy immediate needs. River engineering projects have included construction of dams and levees, channelizing rivers, and developing floodplains. Such projects have allowed our civilization to prosper but at an ecological cost that is now better understood and more greatly appreciated by society. The results of Dr. Stone’s research will improve understanding of these impacts while also informing river restoration efforts.