Civil Engineering Assistant Professor, Mark Stone, received the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards. The CAREER Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

Stone, a civil engineering assistant professor, will use "river forensics" to reconstruct historical river conditions dating back over 100 years using computer models. The models will be used to describe flood waves as various river engineering projects were implemented throughout the middle Rio Grande valley. The project will also include important outreach activities involving the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) and the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI). The title of her project is "CAREER: Evaluating the Impacts of River Engineering and Stream Restoration Projects on the Ecosystem Service of Floodwave Attenuation". 

The research is underway because humans have long attempted to exert control over rivers to satisfy immediate needs. River engineering projects have included construction of dams and levees, channelizing rivers, and developing floodplains. Such projects have allowed our civilization to prosper but at an ecological cost that is now better understood and more greatly appreciated by society. The results of Stone's research will improve understanding of these impacts while also informing river restoration efforts. For more, visit at Stone's research, awards, publications and background