معرفی
Sarah Null is a Professor in the Watershed Sciences department at Utah State University. Her work focuses on environmental water management, addressing the critical question of how aquatic habitats and ecosystems can be protected while maintaining human water uses. She leads the ACWA Lab (Aquatic habitat Climate and Water Analysis Research Program) which conducts research on water systems in water-scarce regions.
Dr. Null received her educational training from prestigious institutions:
- PhD in Geography from UC Davis (2008) with dissertation 'Improving Managed Environmental Water Use Efficiency: Shasta River Flow and Temperature Modeling'
- MS in Geography from UC Davis (2003) with thesis 'Re-Assembling Hetch Hetchy: Water Supply Implications of Removing O'Shaughnessy Dam'
- BA in Economics (Spanish) from UCLA (1998)
Her research spans three interconnected themes: tradeoffs between human and environmental water uses, hydroclimate change and adaptations, and saline lake management. Dr. Null employs systems modeling, mathematical modeling, and field studies to improve understanding of water systems and explore sustainable solutions. Her work particularly focuses on the Great Salt Lake and Mekong River Basin, addressing challenges like declining water levels, dam impacts, and climate change effects. She actively collaborates with policy-makers and water managers to ensure her research informs practical decision-making for water sustainability in an uncertain future.
Dr. Null's recent publications reveal strong trends in environmental water management, particularly examining the tradeoffs between human water use and ecosystem needs under climate change. Her work focuses on innovative approaches like managed aquifer recharge, environmental water storage, and addressing flood injustice, with significant contributions to understanding the impacts of dams on freshwater biodiversity in the Mekong River Basin. These studies employ sophisticated modeling techniques while maintaining practical relevance for water managers.
Her scientific achievements have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards:
- Utah Division of State History Outstanding Achievement Award (2022)
- Public Policy Institute of California's CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow (2021)
- National Science Foundation's CAREER Award (2017)
- Invited Scholar to Dissertation Initiative for Climate Change Research (DISCCRS) (2010)
- American Water Resources Association's William R. Boggess Award for best paper (2006)
- Environmental Protection Agency's STAR Graduate Fellowship (2005)
Dr. Null has mentored numerous graduate students through their PhD and Master's research in Watershed Sciences, guiding them in diverse topics from drone data analysis for environmental restoration to dam removal systems analysis. Her research has been supported by significant grants including NSF CAREER funding and collaborations with the Public Policy Institute of California, addressing critical water management challenges through interdisciplinary approaches that combine engineering, ecology, and policy analysis.
She leads the ACWA Lab which focuses on aquatic habitat, climate, and water analysis, conducting field studies and modeling work particularly in the Great Salt Lake Basin and Mekong River Basin. Her team collaborates with state agencies, federal partners, and international researchers to develop practical solutions for water sustainability challenges. The lab has produced influential research on measurement gaps in the Great Salt Lake Basin and environmental water management strategies that have informed policy discussions at multiple levels of government.
