The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) business team and water team have welcomed new staff members this spring.
Mary Michael Zahed joined the institute in February as a program specialist, leading projects related to watershed planning and implementation. Zahed will be focusing on stakeholder engagement, educational outreach and building strong community partnerships.
Prior to working at TWRI, she received her bachelor’s in crop and soil environmental sciences with a concentration in international agriculture in 2021. Upon completing her B.S., she worked as an agricultural extension agent, 4-H advisor, and middle school agriculture science teacher in Ayeldu, Ghana, through the Texas A&M Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development.
She earned her master’s from Virginia Tech in 2024, and her thesis focused on improving cover crop implementation and biomass production for the mitigation of nitrogen leaching in the Mid-Atlantic through innovative technology. She also piloted an exchange program between Virginia Tech and the University of Cape Coast in Ghana to introduce community gardens into Ghana's urban settings to address food insecurity.
Deborah Breedlove joined TWRI in February as a program aid supporting the leadership team and institute. She provides administrative assistance and support, coordinating calendars, meetings and activities.
Breedlove previously worked for the Texas A&M System in Financial Management Services, and later at the Large Animal Teaching Hospital, a part of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
