Members of the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) will have a strong presence at the UF Water Institute Symposium. SWES students, faculty, staff, and alumni are contributing more than 40 oral and poster presentations. Their research showcases the department’s leadership in sustainable water science.

The focus of the UF Water Institute’s 10th Biennial Symposium is Sustainable Water Resources: Complex Challenges, Integrated Solutions. The event features more than 300 presentations across an expanded three-day program. The event brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry professionals. The goal is to explore complex water challenges across geographic and temporal scales, emphasizing integrated approaches to sustaining water resources.

Broad Research

SWES representatives will deliver nearly two-dozen oral presentations along with more than two-dozen poster presentations. The research covers many areas of water science. These include agricultural water and nutrient dynamics, best management practices, water reuse, AI and machine learning applications, and coastal groundwater vulnerability and hydrologic processes.

Among the oral presenters are SWES graduate students:

• Elizabeth Kelly — Regulations, Research, and Reaching Out: The Martin County Water Ambassadors Program
• Yasmeen Saleem — Growth and Physiological Responses of Southern Highbush Blueberry to Reclaimed Water Irrigation
• Shannon Salvatori — Internal Phosphorus Recycling in Lake Jesup: A New Focus for Restoration
• Duplicate Sambani — The Use of Organic Acids to Improve Soil Health and Nutrient Uptake in HLB-Affected Citrus
• Saba Shaghaghi Khajehdeh — Predicting Water Quality and Quantity in Florida Using Soft Computing Techniques

SWES faculty members delivering oral presentations include: Golmar Golmohammadi, Jonathan Judy, Davie Kadyampakeni, Vimala Nair, AJ Reisinger, Laura Reynolds, Lakesh Sharma, and Nikos Tziolas. Additionally, more than half a dozen SWES alumni, postdoctoral associates, and staff members are presenting research.

Supporting Career Development

In addition to presenting their research, SWES students have more opportunities to engage with water professionals through two new career-focused events. The Career Fair and Networking Reception includes representatives from 30 organizations spanning all levels of government, nonprofit groups, academic programs, and private industry. The Water Science Career Panel will provide students with more insights. It features professionals from academia, public service, conservation, consulting, and engineering. Panelists will discuss emerging trends, evolving workforce needs, and the many pathways available within the water sector.

Advancing Solutions

The 2026 UF Water Institute Symposium highlights collaboration across science, technology, policy, management, education, and communication. For SWES, the event is an opportunity to demonstrate its focus on issues related to water quantity and quality, ecosystem resilience, infrastructure, governance, and decision-making. With more than 40 presentations and strong student involvement, SWES continues to show how it is advancing solutions for sustainable water resources.

You can see the full symposium program on its website.

Featured image from the UF Water Institute.

1