天美传媒

Dr. Benjamin L. Ruddell (Ben), Ph.D., P.E., is a Professor and Director of the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University, the President of Ruddell Environmental consulting, the Director of the National Water-Economy Project (NWEP) and the Director of the FEWSion project. His PhD is in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His professional experiences are in the fields of civil engineering, water resources, systems analysis, ecology/ecohydrology, and engineering research and education in an interdisciplinary university setting. He works with a variety of federal, local, and private partners to accomplish cutting-edge projects. His research interests fall broadly in the area of the quantification and management of complex coupled natural-human systems, including regional water and climate systems strongly influenced by the human economy and society- such as in cities, energy, and agriculture. His professional goals are the advancement of the science and management of complex systems, and excellence in education in a university setting.

Dr. Vinka Oyanedel-Craver is a Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. Her research interests lie in the area of emerging contaminants of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment, as well as the development of novel water technologies. Her current research focus is on environmental nanotechnology, specifically on the behavior and application of nanomaterials in different ecological compartments and their use as antimicrobial compounds in point of use water/wastewater treatment in rural developing communities. Her research team has authored more than 45 peer-review publications.

Dr. Akanda’s primary expertise is in the intersections of Water Security, Climate Change and Global Health – and the development of early warning systems to benefit emerging public health issues in the developing world. Ali was the recipient of the NIH Ruth Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship and the Dean’s Fellowship during his PhD at Tufts University, Medford, MA. Ali’s doctoral research was the first to identify both dry and wet season hydroclimatic drivers of cholera outbreaks in South Asia and was instrumental in securing an NIH Research Challenge Grant on climate change impacts on cholera. His current research focuses on providing a large scale understanding of hydroclimatic forces affecting water-related disease outbreaks in resource constrained regions, and understanding health impacts of climatic and anthropogenic changes in rapidly growing urban regions of developing nations.

Dr. Goodwill is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, a position he started in the fall of 2017. In this appointment, he executes research in physicochemical processes, water quality, and water-poverty issues. He also teaches classes focused on water treatment and reuse, and environmental analytical techniques. His Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering are from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College. Prior to entering academia, Joe was a Project Engineer for Black & Veatch working on global projects out of their Philadelphia office. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional. Joe also works with multiple international water NGOs, supporting projects in Malawi, India, Ghana, and Bolivia. He received an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award in 2021.

Dr. Boving is a Professor of Environmental Hydrogeology in the University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences with a join appointment in the College of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geosciences. His research focuses on the fate, transport, and remediation of organic and inorganic pollutants from point- and non-point sources. He is specifically interested in water treatment, soil and groundwater remediation and water resources in developing countries - including attenuating the adverse effects of stormwater runoff from roads and urbanized areas. Boving is a recipient of a prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s United States-India Educational Foundation. He is currently teaching at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, one of the oldest and most renowned technical institutions in South Asia, while conducting research on technologies aimed at cleaning up polluted groundwater and soil.

Matt leads operations for the Good Food Institute’s Science and Technology Department, guiding U.S. and global strategies to accelerate alternative protein innovation. With 20 years of experience in research, academic publishing, and science leadership, he specializes in the environmental impacts of the food system, nanotechnology, and water treatment. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s in environmental engineering from Rice University, and a doctorate in environmental engineering from Duke University. Matt is passionate about advancing science to improve the taste, nutrition, and affordability of alternative proteins while building a more sustainable food system.