CENTER FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESEARCH University of California, Santa Cruz 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California (831) 459-3114

CENTER FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESEARCHCENTER FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESEARCH

University of California, Santa Cruz

1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California (831) 459-3114 http://ciwr.ucsc.edu

Meeting 21st century water challenges:

The role of 4-year colleges and universities

Center for Integrated Water Research

University of California Santa Cruz

Talk Roadmap

The Center for Integrated Water Research: Introduction

Challenges facing future water professionals

What colleges and universities can do to help meet those challenges

Example: the Water Teaching and Research Laboratory, or WaterLab



Center for Integrated Water Research Mission

Statement

To advance society’s understanding

of the policy, economics, and communications of

fresh water management



Advancing Our Mission

• Focus on water policy, economics, and communications

• Help resolve major

debates on water supply and quality

• Increase the quantity and quality of research on fresh water issues

• Build new approaches to teaching about water



Water challenges of the

early 21st century

• Same as the 20th century: provide society with a safe and reliable water supply subject to constraints of resource availability, affordability.

• New and/or expanded in the 21st century:– MORE CONSTRAINTS!



Water challenges of the

early 21st centuryMORE CONSTRAINTS:

- environmental restoration needs- non-stationary climate - complex legal settings- public communications challenges

- growing interest in water quality- pre-existing infrastructure- technological advancements



Water professionals

Need water-related skillsOperationalLaboratoryModelingCommunications

Need people skillsDealing with bosses, co-

workers, customers, regulators, the press, the public



Water professionals

Need problem-solving skillsQuantitative (both back-of-

the-envelope and thorough)Mechanical/chemical

Need good work habits to distinguish themselves

On timeTransparentFinishersKnow when to ask for help



Water professionals

Need perspective

Why do water agencies do what they do?

What is the importance of water to this region?

What are the drivers of change in this region?

What does the public expect of us?

What should I expect from my job?



Preparing water professionals:4-year colleges

Goals of the college experience

Knowledge acquisition and the ability to acquire knowledge

Develop ability to evaluate and problem- solve in today’s society

Skills useful in the workforce

Deeper understanding and appreciation of citizenship and freedom

Completion of a course of study




Units of knowledge acquisition:

Individual research/homework

Lectures Lab sessionsDiscussions

Seminars

Courses Field studies

Internships Study abroad

Degree programsNon-degree programs



Preparing water professionals:4-year collegesintroducing…the course

- 5-15 weeks long- In a classroom, lab, outdoors, and/or off campus- Students take ~3 of these at a time- They are self-contained learning units- They require extensive prior review and approval at the departmental and campus level- Once approved, the professor has extensive freedom to deliver the course as he or she sees fit- Required combinations of these earn students their bachelor’s degree.




Degree Programs

-have structural rigidities- Pre-requisites- Core courses- Required courses from particular lists

-have surprising flexibility-Substitute alternative courses-Independent study options-Internships and study abroad

-Require extensive review and approvals




Degree Programs

-Key evolutionary point:

-Degree programs are beginning to lose the name of the Department that offers them.

-This creates new flexibility in curriculum planning.




Curriculum - a coherent combination of coursework

Water curriculum can be enhanced in many ways:

- many opportunities for faculty across the disciplines

- guest lectures/facilities tours (one time events)

- expanding and regularizing internship opportunities (typically as a 1-2 course substitute)

- developing new courses




Curriculum - a coherent combination of coursework

Water curriculum can be enhanced in many ways:

- developing new paths within degree programs- developing new degree programs- developing new “schools” on a par with a “School of Engineering”




To be successful in this endeavor, the following ingredients are needed:

- active support from water agencies and agency associations

- interested “ladder rank” faculty

- open-minded academic administrators

- a good idea that helps solve a real problem



Curricular Initiatives at UCSC:

two examples1. Distribution and Treatment

Accreditation Study

- Students are preparing for D- and T- exams.- Both formal and informal coursework- Working with water agencies to identify internship opportunities to provide hands-on experience.




two examples2. Developing the:

Water Teaching and Research Laboratory, or WaterLab

- Purposes: teaching, research, test bed and demonstration of advanced water treatment methods

- A joint venture of:- UCSC’s Center for Integrated

Water Research- Monterey Regional Water

Pollution Control Agency- Marina Coast Water District




two examplesWaterLab

Other labs, agencies, and private companies are offering assistance in getting WaterLab launched

A center piece is the gift of water treatment unitsfrom Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory toUCSC.




two examples2. The water treatment units consist

of:

- double-pass RO with capacity of 0.5 MGD

- Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit

- Steam-powered thermal desalination unit




two examplesAcknowledgements and Thanks

LLNL, includingBill Bourcier, Ph.D.Elizabeth Burton, Ph.D.Robin Newmark, Ph.D.

Marina Coast Water DistrictJim Heitzman, General Manager and Fellow, CIWR

The Stephen and Mona Bruce Family Trust




two examplesAcknowledgements and Thanks


Steve Kasower, Senior Research Economist

Kivette Koeppe, AdministratorLily Geisler, CIWR Events

Coordinator and UCSC Senior



The Challenges Before Us

Optimize society’s use of limited water resources

Utilize the resources and knowledge base we have to meet these challenges

- water agency- private sector- university-based



Group Discussion…

What are the next steps?

Documents

CENTER FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESEARCH University of California, Santa Cruz 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California (831) 459-3114