Davis to Serve as Faculty Mentor for NSF-Funded Global STEWARDS Program

Allen P. Davis, professor and Charles A. Irish Sr. Chair in Civil Engineering, is one of several faculty mentors supporting a new University of Maryland (UMD) graduate training and research program aimed at creating innovative and sustainable solutions for global food, energy, and water systems.

Funded through a $3 million award from the National Science Foundation, the Global STEWARDS (STEM Training at the Nexus of Energy, WAter Reuse and FooD Systems) program is led by the School of Public Health’s Amy R. Spkota.

The program will enable UMD to recruit and train more than 60 doctoral students in the life sciences, earth system sciences, engineering and computational sciences, natural resource management, and energy and environmental policy.

UMD Global STEWARDS will be exposed to a range of topics in three research areas: agricultural resilience through energy-efficient water reuse, food safety and security in variable climate scenarios, and decision support systems to advance food-energy-water adaptation strategies. Trainees will work closely with faculty mentors from the School of Public Health; A. James Clark School of Engineering; College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; School of Public Policy; and potentially other schools and colleges.

Along with coursework, students will participate in internships, workshops and a summer trip to work with partner organizations in Israel or Nepal. To enhance the mentoring and leadership skills of UMD Global STEWARDs, trainees will be paired with undergraduate student mentees.

Some in the program will also conduct research as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program Sapkota oversees, known as CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food & Health.

At least half of the doctoral students selected for the Global STEWARDS fellowship will receive full stipends to support their education and research.

Published September 7, 2018