April Newman
Graduate Research Assistant
School of Renewable Natural Resources
Lousiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (225)578-0996
Current Research: Hydrologic Modeling of Subsurface Flow Through a Natural Levee in the Atchafalaya Basin
Background:
I have a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2002) where I first gained an interest and respect for wetlands during my two years as a research assistant collecting field data for graduate and undergraduate research projects, including my own thesis entitled "Mosquito Population Dynamics During the Establishment Phase of a Constructed Desert Wetland." After a summer internship with a restoration ecologist at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, I moved to Southwest Oregon and continued to gain field experience in natural resources as a fisheries technician and hydrologic technician mapping and surveying landscapes for stream and riparian condition and aquatic biota. At the US Bureau of Land Management, my responsibilities soon increased beyond field technician duties to include a position on a land management planning team, Environmental Analysis writer/editor, team leader, field crew manager, and eventually interim hydrologist for the Grants Pass Resource Area while the position was officially vacant. Although my rapid ascent was well-received by my peers and supervisors (I even received awards for my efforts), I realized that I still had a lot to learn about hydrology before I could be most effective in such a position and set my sights on graduate school. In January 2007, I began a research assistantship at Louisiana State University to study hydrologic processes in the Atchafalaya swamp. I chose to conduct my research on shallow subsurface flow because my experience surveying headwater streams in Oregon had aroused my curiosity about surface-groundwater interactions and connectivity. Of course, like any good student of science, I now have more questions than answers and a stronger curiosity than ever about hydrologic processes. My educational experience at LSU has exceeded my expectations, as I've been fortunate to learn from some truly fantastic scientists and gifted teachers, and I intend complete my research and defend my thesis next spring. Beyond that, the next step on my career path is uncertain, but there is no shortage of possibilities; if you have any ideas, feel free to contact me or Click Here to view my Resume/CV. If you want to know more about forested wetlands research at LSU, follow the link below. Thanks for stopping by!
