The WRI’s most exciting endeavors involve collaboration among our community partners and faculty at CSUSB. The following activities highlight some of the on-going projects that ensure the academic excellence is maintained within our project goals.
Dr. Erik B. Melchiorre
Professor, Geological Sciences
P: (909) 537-7754
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Dr. Melchiorre recently had a paper published “Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope maps for meteroric groundwater in Costa Rica, excluding geothermal waters,” in the Journal of Environmental Hydrology (Volume 17, September 2009). Abstract and full paper can be found here. Este informe está disponible en español.
Samples of the maps he created can be found here and here and here (right-click to download maps).
Dr. Anthony Metcalf
Assistant Professor, Biology
P: (909) 537-7501
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In a study funded in part by the WRI, Dr. Metcalf and Ivan C. Phillipsen, a graduate student working with Metcalf, investigated phylogeographic patterns in a stream-dwelling frog (Pseudacris cadaverina). Their findings were published in the October 2009 Issue of Phylogenetics and Evolution.
Sant Khalsa
Professor of Art
P: not listed
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Sant Khalsa, Professor of Art, creates photographic, installation, and mixed media sculptural works that develop from her inquiry into the nature of place and the complex environmental and societal issues present and visible in the landscape of the American West. Many of her artworks focus on critical water issues with emphasis on the Santa Ana River and Watershed. She has been photographing the river and expansive watershed for nearly three decades. Her images create a contemplative space where one can sense the subtle and profound connections between themselves, the natural world and our constructed settings. These disquieting photographs address complex environmental and societal issues and reflect upon various ideas concerning our relationship with the river — as a place of community, economic resource, recreational site, natural habitat, sanctuary, and both source of life and destruction. For more information and to view her artwork visit Sant Khalsa’s website.
Dr. Yu Jung Kim
Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
P: (909) 537-5417
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The research in Dr. Kim’s lab currently focuses on microbial source tracking to determine whether the cause of contamination in the Lytle Creek watershed comes from human and/or animal waste. Additionally, the lab is interested in developing markers from the Salmonella group of bacteria to identify bird fecal pollution. The work is being in done in conjunction with student Heidi Redden, who received a WRI internship in the Watershed Management Program in December, 2008, and Dr. James Noblet.
Dr. James Noblet
Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
P: (909) 537-5194
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Dr. Noblet is conducting water quality monitoring in Lytle Creek, testing bacterial indicators and water turbidity.
Dr. Norman Meek
Professor of Geography
P: (909) 537-5563
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Dr. Meek recently completed a study of Urbanization and Flood Risk in the Upper Santa Ana Watershed. The study investigated the natural (pre-development) flood risk of the Upper Santa Ana Watershed by measuring the size and distribution of the largest flood-transported debris. He found that the risk generally increases towards the mountains, especially near those regions where large streams exit the mountains. Compared to the San Bernardino Mountain front, the flood risk below the San Gabriel Mountain front appears significantly larger given the drainage basin sizes. In other words, the floods that come of out the San Gabriel Mountains are capable of carrying exceptionally large stones much farther distances from the mountains than other drainages in the region of equivalent size. Read the paper about his study.
Dr. Brett J. Stanley
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
P: (909) 537-3313
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Dr. Stanley recently completed a study of the selective ion exchange and isolation of perchlorate from simulated groundwater samples (Separation and Purification Technology 61 (2008) 469–473). He is currently studying the analytical chemistry and potential interferences of cyanide in wastewater. He is also studying the durability and environmental impact of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
Dr. David Turner
Professor of Computer Science
P: 909-537-5428
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Dr. Turner managed a project that created a system that allows users to perform map-based Web searches of the WRI archives for water quality data about the Santa Ana watershed. The system allows documents to be searched using criteria that include map features, time ranges and nature of water quality impact. The system and data collection procedure established under this project is the basis for later completion of the task to provide map-based searching for all WRI historic artifacts over the web. Read the final report of the project.
