معرفی
Erin Dreelin serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife within Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, while also holding leadership roles as Associate Director of the MSU Water Alliance and Program Coordinator for the WaterCube National Research Traineeship (NRT). Her work centers on facilitating cross-disciplinary water research collaborations and implementing ecosystem protection strategies through stakeholder engagement with local governments and communities.
Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia, an M.S. in Biology from Old Dominion University, and a B.S. in Biology from Villanova University.
Dreelin's research focuses on sustainable stormwater management practices to protect aquatic ecosystems, with emphasis on urbanization impacts, stream ecology, and water quality preservation. She actively develops innovative low-impact development techniques and Smart Growth policies, working directly with municipal authorities to revise building codes and land development practices. Her approach integrates scientific rigor with practical outreach to maintain ecosystem services while accommodating human development needs.
Recent publications demonstrate her shift toward advanced water quality monitoring methodologies, particularly rapid detection systems for public health applications. The 2024 MiNET study validates statewide wastewater surveillance for infectious disease tracking, while the 2022 qPCR research establishes faster beach safety protocols, both showing significant improvements over traditional culture-based methods through real-time data applications.
No specific scientific awards are documented in the source materials.
She directs multiple major grants including the NSF-funded WaterCube NRT (2023-2028) for big data water science, Michigan EGLE's MINET Beach Support project (2022-2026), and EPA-sponsored research on drinking water disinfection optimization (2023-2026). Her grant portfolio emphasizes translating research into actionable public health solutions through partnerships with state and federal agencies.
Dreelin coordinates the MiNET network involving 19 laboratories, 29 health departments, 6 Native American tribes, and 60 wastewater treatment plants monitoring 214 sites across Michigan. This infrastructure supports the MSU Global Water Initiative and WaterCube NRT program, establishing statewide capacity for environmental health monitoring and rapid response to emerging pathogen threats.
