Rebecca Muenich

Rebecca Muenich is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering at the University of Arkansas. Her research bridges watershed modeling, agricultural ecosystems, and the food-energy-water nexus, with a focus on surface hydrology, water quality, and climate impacts. She holds a Ph.D. (2015) and M.S. (2011) in Agricultural & Biological Engineering from Purdue University, and a B.S. in Biological Engineering (2009) from the University of Arkansas.

Her research explores watershed and environmental modeling, agricultural management, urban agriculture, and climate impacts on water resources. Key interests include mitigating nutrient pollution, enhancing ecosystem services, and developing sustainable land-use strategies. Recent publications emphasize machine learning applications in environmental monitoring, phosphorus circularity, and climate-resilient water management.

Muenich leads significant grants including a USDA NRCS project on PFAS in agriculture (2023-2027), NSF-STC’s Science and Technology for Phosphorus Sustainability (2021-2031), and DISES research on cyanobacterial blooms (2022-2025). She mentors students in her research group (Muenich Lab) and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects.

• Lori Libbert New Faculty Commendation (2024)
• Early Career Alumni Award, UA Engineering (2022)
• New Face of ASABE (2020)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2009)