People
Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Internship Program
As members of Water Institute project teams interns conduct individual projects that contribute to the overall team effort, while learning about and assisting the process of interdisciplinary scientific research, collaboration and scholarship. By participating in this program they gain important skills and develop a personal network of mentors and colleagues to help them develop their careers.
Omaira Bolaños (obolanos@ufl.edu)WI Smallwood Intern for Social and Gender Issues in Water Resource Research – AKI India
Omaira is from Cali, Colombia. She graduated in December 2008 with a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida. She received her Master’s degree in 2003 Latin American Studies with concentration in the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at UF. Before coming to UF, Omaira worked extensively in Development and Community-Based Conservation and watershed management with peasant and indigenous communities, environmental NGOs, and the government. She has developed research in Bolivia in community forestry and social diversity issues and in Brazil with indigenous peoples’ claims for recognition and land rights. She has worked as well in other Latin American countries such as El Salvador and Ecuador. Her research interests are: ethnic identity – revitalization of indigenous identity; connections between place, identity, and memory; conservation and participatory natural resource management; governance and policy implementation in community-based conservation; and, gender.
Florian Fiebig (fafiebig@ufl.edu)WI Smallwood Intern for Hydrologic and Biochemical Dynamics of Spring River Systems
Florian is a Senior in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Florida focusing on Water Resources and Hydrology. He is currently working on a project to monitor and understand the relationship between water flow and conductivity in rivers and springs of the Santa Fe basin. In the future, he would also like to work with water-intensive industries to find ways to increase there sustainability in water use.
Anoosh Mahalingam (anooshm@ufl.edu)Water Institute Intern for Information Management and Programming
Anoosh is a graduate student in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He received his Bachelor's degree from PSG college of Technology, INDIA. During his undergraduate, he became passionate about computers and got involved in various hardware and software projects. He is specialized in Computer Networks, Programming languages and Computer Hardware.
Max Millstein (orbit84@ufl.edu)WI Smallwood Intern for Water and Society: December 2008 - Present
Max earned a Master of Science degree in 2009 from the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida. His research focused on the prioritization of resource allocation and land-use issues in Northeast Florida; specifically building consensus among different stakeholder groups. In 2007, he graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in food and resource economics with a minor in agricultural and natural resource ethics. Max was born in Palm Beach County, Florida. Through his experiences while growing up, such as learning about Florida’s rich marine life, helping to protect sea turtle nests, and observing water use restrictions, he has developed a deep respect for nature and an affinity toward conservation.
Contributions to Recent Projects:
- Summary of State and National Research Priorities Related to Water Conservation and Water Use Efficiency
- Conserve Florida Water Clearinghouse Digital Library - Update of Research Projects and Extension Programs
- St. Johns River Water Management District Expert Review of 2009 Water Conservation Action Plan
- 2009 Program Initiation Fund (PIF) & PIF Community of Practice Wiki
Colin Rawls (crawls@ufl.edu)
WI Smallwood Intern for Economic Incentives for Water Use Efficiency: May 2008 - May 2009
Colin was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a child, he moved to Vero Beach on Florida's east coast. At an early age, he developed an appreciation for the great diversity of plant and animal life in the Indian River Lagoon. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2007 with a degree in economics. Currently, he is a graduate student in the department of Food and Resource Economics and a graduate assistant with the UF Speech and Debate team. His research focus is water economics, specifically different water pricing strategies in Florida.
Contributions to Recent Projects:
