Congratulations to the Summer 2026 Water Institute Travel Award Recipients

Congratulations to Maria Carolina Ferreira, Abhishek Rajan, Bhimsen Shrestha, and Emma VanderMeulen, recipients of the Water Institute Summer 2026 Travel Awards. With this support, they will travel across the United States and Canada to present their water-focused research at a national or international conference. The recipients represent a diverse range of research areas and disciplines within the water sciences. By sharing their work with the broader scientific community, they will expand their professional networks, strengthen their skills, and showcase the innovative research being conducted at the University of Florida.

Read on to learn more about the award recipients, their conference, and their research. Additionally, the Water Institute will be hosting an event to showcase their research, so stay tuned for more information.

Maria Carolina Ferreiraz
School of Natural Resources and Environment/ Agronomy Department
Conference: 13th US Symposium on Harmful Algae
Presentation: Evaluation of Novel Biobased Algaecides for the Control of Microcystin-Producing Cyanobacteria

Abhishek Rajan
Food and Resource Economics Department
Conference: Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting 2026
Presentation: Economic Benefits of Improving Freshwater Quality: Evidence from Housing Markets in Florida

Bhimsen Shrestha
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Conference: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Presentation: A Precision Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI) to Improve Water Use and Minimize Soil Nitrate Leaching for Sustainable Corn Production in Sandy Soils of North Florida

Emma VanderMeulen
Department of Environmental and Global Health
Conference: SETAC North America 47th Annual Meeting
Presentation: Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water Source Regions: Quantifying Mixture Risk in Great Lakes Waterbodies

June 30, 2026