Tag: Meet a scientist

Dr. Allen Berthold may have grown up dryland farming, but that doesn’t mean he’s not making waves now. As a research scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Berthold helps coordinate various research and extension projects involving water planning, assessment and conservation. “Growing up farming, we always knew water was one of the most important issues, so…

Quick reflexes and a set of hands — these were Dr. Wade Ryberg’s childhood tools for catching reptiles and amphibians. After the capture, he would often bring the animal home for further study. “I would catch something in the wild, keep it, feed it, watch it eat, and then I would just put it back where I…

Despite the critical need to treat and reuse wastewater, many water consumers are unaware of the process, according to Dr. Anish Jantrania of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Transforming complex wastewater science into easily applied information is his mission. “We all agree that water is important, but people tend to shy away from it because the whole subject…

On any given day one might find Lucas Gregory monitoring water quality in the field, analyzing data or writing grants and publications. “There’s really never a dull moment, and that’s one of the things that I like about working here,” said Gregory, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) project specialist and quality assurance officer. Gregory began working at…

When Dr. Jay Angerer earned his bachelor’s in rangeland management from Texas Tech University in 1986, he had no idea that his job would one day take him around the world. Angerer began his education at Texas Tech studying wildlife. But after taking a course on plant ecology that piqued his interest, he switched to focusing on…

Groundwater researcher and engineer Dr. Gretchen Miller wants to know how to balance the water resources needs of people, the economy and the planet. “Engineers are really well-placed to promote sustainable water use, which is the central theme of my research on groundwater and ecohydrology,” said Miller, an assistant professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas…

When he was 12 years old, Dr. Rusty Feagin moved to Seabrook, a city along the Texas coast surrounded by industrial development. It was then that Feagin began to consider the importance of coastal health. “Living there brought environmental issues to the forefront of my mind,” Feagin said. Feagin’s interest in the environment persisted throughout his teenage…

Although she began as a pre-law student at Texas A&M University, Dr. Cristine Morgan quickly realized her passion for soil science and made a career out of it. “When I had to sit down and make a choice about what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life, I decided on soil science,” she…

Dr. Kirk Winemiller became fascinated by natural science at an early age. “As a child, I liked the outdoors, and I liked animals,” he said. “I grew up in a rural area playing outside in the woods and meadows, especially streams.” Today, Winemiller is an ecologist and Regents Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at…

When you hear the word “scientist,” most likely the image that comes to mind is of someone in a lab coat with test tubes and beakers. While this is true of some scientists, there are many others who do not fit that image. This is especially true of natural resource scientists. To showcase the diversity…