Xuefeng “Michael” Chu, associate professor and interim chair of civil and environmental engineering, has been named director of the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute.
Kelly A. Rusch, vice president for research and creative activity at NDSU, said “It was clear that Dr. Chu was the right person to lead the institute. His research background and passion for solving our state’s water resources issues will serve the institute well.”
Founded in 1965 by Congress, the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute is one of 54 institutes throughout the nation and is administered through the United States Geological Survey. The institutes provide a national platform for research, training and collaboration to manage the country’s water resources. The institutes assist state and federal governments in advancing sustainable management of the water supply.
Chu’s research spans a variety of hydrological and engineering areas, including watershed hydrologic and environmental modeling; overland flow and infiltration; integrated modeling of flow and multi-phase contaminant transport in surface and subsurface environments; non-point source pollution and environmental assessment; groundwater modeling and management; water resources systems analysis; and development of hydrologic and environmental modeling software.
He was elected a fellow by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute and has earned an associate editor award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Researcher of the Year Award from the NDSU College of Engineering. Chu has received a Grants on the Grand Award from Grand Valley State University and a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation.
The North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute office is located in NDSU’s College of Engineering. Chu succeeds Eakalak Khan, professor of civil engineering, as Institute director.
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