SLU Launches New WATER Institute
Carrie Bebermeyer
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carrie.bebermeyer@slu.edu
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06/26/2020
New institute aims to solve some of the world’s most complex water-related issues
ST. LOUIS (June 24, 2020) – Saint Louis University has established the Water Access, Technology, Environment and Resources (WATER) Institute. The new institute brings together researchers in the areas of engineering and science, policy and economics, and public health and social justice to help solve some of the world’s most complex water-related issues.
The research conducted at the Saint Louis University WATER Institute focuses primarily on three critical areas: developing clean-water access at home and around the world; protecting aquatic ecosystems and the water supply; and improving water infrastructure to address key societal needs, such as preventing and mitigating water-related natural disasters.
"Many critical issues surrounding WATER – such as access to clean water – require a collaborative, multifaceted approach from experts in various fields," said Amanda Cox, Ph.D., director of the Saint Louis University WATER Institute. "The WATER Institute builds on SLU’s history of producing ground-breaking research by bringing together researchers from different fields and areas of expertise to focus on finding solutions to urgent water-related issues."
Current research projects include:
- Testing water-treatment technologies for use in developing nations to evaluate which are most effective for clean drinking water at the household level
- Determining the origin and the amount of microplastics flowing into local rivers and groundwater systems
- Using machine learning to estimate the volume of water storage available in United States reservoirs
"Water is crucial for life and critical for commerce, it affects health and economies in countless ways," said Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., president of Saint Louis University. "The research projects sponsored through the WATER Institute will have a substantial impact on local, national and global communities, and their most vulnerable populations."
The WATER Institute fills a significant need for urban water research in the United States, specifically, in the Midwest. Saint Louis University’s location in the city of St. Louis at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers makes it an ideal setting for groundbreaking water research. Saint Louis University’s Jesuit mission to serve humanity is also at the heart of the WATER Institute. The institute’s findings will address public-health issues and protect society from natural and human-made water-related disasters.
The origins of Saint Louis University’s new WATER Institute lie in an internal Big Ideas competition to define university-wide strategic research priorities. Saint Louis University’s ability to invest in water-related research was greatly enhanced in 2018 when Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield made a historic $50 million gift that established the Saint Louis University Research Institute to accelerate research growth at the University.
The WATER Institute is the latest major initiative supported by the Saint Louis University Research Institute. In 2019 the Geospatial Institute (GeoSLU) was launched.
For more information, or to support the WATER Institute at Saint Louis University, visit the institute.
Watch to Learn More About SLU's New WATER Institute
Join the Institute to Learn About COVID-19, Water
The WATER Institute will host a webinar, "The Role of Water During COVID-19," at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.
The webinar's topics will include public health theory and practice in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as it pertains to pandemic response, local water-related actions taken in the City of St. Louis to respond to COVID-19, and WASH initiatives taking place in communities around the world to mitigate the impact of our current pandemic.
The panel will feature the following esteemed speakers:
- Roger Lewis, Ph.D., professor of environmental and occupational health in SLU's College for Public Health and Social Justice
- Curt Skouby, director of public utilities for the City of St. Louis
- Shilpa Alva, founder and executive director of Surge for Water
About the Saint Louis University Research Institute
The Saint Louis University Research Institute advances the University’s ambition to become a preeminent center for basic and applied research. Established in 2018 through a generous gift from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, the Institute provides critical funding to support outstanding researchers whose interests and areas of study span the University. The Institute strives to become a national and international model for promoting teaching, learning and research that exemplifies discovery, transformative outcomes and engaged citizenship in a global society. For more information, visit the institute.
About Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. For more information, visit SLU.