Mission Statement

The proposed Center will be organized around faculty expertise and research interests in water quality, hydrology/water management, aquatic ecosystem dynamics, and water economics, policy, and management. It will coordinate and facilitate campus efforts in seeking grants and contracts for multidisciplinary research projects, conduct public policy analysis of the options and implications of critical water management decisions, and augment water quality analytical capabilities on campus. It will serve as the campus liaison with stakeholders and provide public outreach, technology transfer, and information dissemination.

Specifically, its missions are to:

Establish a high profile center for scientific studies in water quality and management that supports faculty research and graduate student training.
Develop and seek funding to support the academic research of faculty and graduate students in water science, especially research projects for interdisciplinary, large-scale, and long-term research projects that link fundamental science, engineering, and policy, and that involve multiple faculty members and students.
Disseminate technical information and conduct stakeholder outreach efforts to help local communities understand critical water issues and make informed decisions.

Vision Statement

The center will become the focal point for faculty research in water science and policy, the catalyst for developing collaborative projects, and a conduit to recruit graduate students and to reach out to stakeholders. It will be a clearinghouse where policy and management decision-makers and the public may obtain objective, science-based information on water-related issues impacting the region, state, nation, and world.