The Lab of 10,000 RIPPLES
Inspired by Minnesota Waters, the RIPPLES Lab engineers sustainable futures through Resilient and Integrated Processes for People, Landscapes, and Ecological Systems.
Dr. Byers' research optimizes ecological engineering designs for sustainable water resource management practices combating current and future challenges of developed and agro-ecosystems. There are three pillars of her research program:
Characterize
Dr. Byers characterizes the coupled interactions between surface and groundwater quality on contaminants of potential concern (e.g., PFAS, nitrate, disinfection byproducts) for human and ecological health by investigating how landcover/land use, geology, and climate influence a community’s exposure risk across regions.
Quantify
Her research addresses novel field-scale assessment methods by quantifying contaminant biomarkers (e.g., caffeine, sucrose) that can be used as diagnostic indicators to identify sources of anthropogenic pollution at the watershed scale.
Optimize
Her team optimizes nature-based treatment design parameters (e.g., substrates, vegetation type, hydrology) to enhance contaminants removal efficiency while also minimizing greenhouse gas emissions
