Meet the Researcher, April Ulery, Professor, New Mexico State University

By Jeanette Torres, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

A team of researchers at the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) received an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a new, international network of networks that connects hydrology, social science, data science, and systems science networks to establish a novel transboundary groundwater resiliency research (TGRR) approach. The network will provide leadership, volunteer, and engagement opportunities for all its members, especially students and early-career researchers.

The virtual Kickoff Event for the TGRR Network will take place on November 16, 2021, from 9:00-10:00 AM MT. Click here to register for the Kickoff. An in-person TGRR Networking Event will take place in Glasgow from 15:00-17:00 local time on November 3, 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Click here to learn more about TGRR. You can find more information about all past and upcoming TGRR events here.

Unprecedented transboundary groundwater depletion is a critical issue facing regions around the world, including U.S.-Mexico border communities. Understanding why transboundary groundwater depletion occurs and how it can be changed within these complex and interconnected systems is key to reversing or avoiding the depletion of these important resources. The TGRR Network remains rooted in the idea that harnessing advances in data science and systems science can help answer these questions in ways that meet the diverse needs and priorities of stakeholders. Objectives of the project are to: 1) catalyze transboundary groundwater resilience research to address groundwater scarcity and its natural and societal impacts, 2) identify the capabilities of the convergence approach to determine key questions and fill critical gaps in knowledge and resources, and 3) support the development of students and early-career researchers who will lead the next generation to collaboratively integrate water, data, and systems science to address transboundary groundwater scarcity.

A panel introduced the TGRR Network on September 28, 2021, at the virtual Two Nations One Water 2021: Binational Water Conference for Chihuahua, New Mexico, and Texas. Access the presentations here and a recording of the panel session here. Visit the TGRR website to learn more about the network, register to join the network, signup for upcoming events, and review resources from past events. All are welcome to join the network.

The TGRR Network is funded by the NSF’s Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations program. The TGRR network prioritizes, in line with AccelNet’s goals, both accelerating the process of scientific discovery for transboundary groundwater research and preparing the next generation of researchers that will lead the future of this international work. Principal Investigator (PI) Sam Fernald and Co-PIs Saeed Langarudi and Ashley Atkins of NM WRRI and Co-PIs Christine Kirkpatrick and Ilya Zaslavsky of SDSC lead the project, which runs from October 2021 through September 2023.