Recognizing Excellence: 2026 Water Institute Dissertation Award Recipients
The Water Institute is proud to announce Dr. Amanda Chappel and Dr. Abhishek Rajan as the selected recipients of the 2026 Water Institute Dissertation Awards. These awards, held every year, recognize the excellence of doctoral students in one of two categories: Natural Science & Engineering and Water Policy & Socioeconomics.
Award recipients are selected through a competitive review process, and Dr. Chappel and Dr. Rajan were honored for the quality, innovation and merit, and the impact of their doctoral research. As award recipients, they will be nominated for the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) Ph.D. Dissertation Award, which is managed by a national consortium of academic institutions and affiliates dedicated to advancing water resources education, outreach, and research.
Dr. Amanda Chappel, Category Natural Science & Engineering
Dr. Amanda Chappel earned her Ph.D. degree in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) while advised by Dr. Elise Morrison. Her dissertation, “Sedimentation Dynamics and Ecosystem Responses to Cultural Eutrophication in the Tampa Bay Estuary,” addresses critical questions surrounding the long-term ecological effects of the 814 million liters of nutrient-rich water discharged into Tampa Bay from a retired fertilizer facility in 2021. Her research was co-produced with the Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay estuary programs, and it has been incorporated by resource managers including the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Dr. Abhishek Rajan, Category Water Policy & Socioeconomics
Dr. Abhishek Rajan earned his Ph.D. in the Food and Resource Economics Department while advised by Dr. Olesya Savchenko. His dissertation, “Three Essays on Economic Valuation of Water Quality: Preferences, Impact, and Policy,” provides decision makers with the evaluation and implication of environmental change and water quality management for three critical and timely challenges: public preferences for aquatic invasive plant management in freshwater systems, the effect of lake water quality on housing markets, and the recreational losses caused by red tide harmful algal blooms. Developed in direct consultation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Abhishek’s work contributes valuable information to support water resource policy and management decisions.
Dr. Chappel and Dr. Rajan’s accomplishments reflect the strength of graduate scholarship within the University of Florida, and they will be recognized at the Water Institute Awards Ceremony taking place on October 13, 4:30 pm at the Keene Faculty Center. The Water Institute also extends its appreciation to the affiliate faculty who contributed their time and effort to evaluate this year’s submissions.