NEWS RELEASE
Speakers to Discuss Water Resources Engineering at Oregon State University
The Institute for Water and Watersheds reports, “Oregon’s economic vitality flows from
water. Irrigation comes to mind, certainly; but also timber, salmon, even semiconductors
require water. ‘Oregon’s water supply is changing, and demand is increasing,’ said
Todd Jarvis, IWW interim director. ‘There’s less snowpack in mountains and the snow is
melting earlier in the season, storing less for late summer when demand is highest.
Shifting populations, land use patterns, climate change, and economic growth are also
putting pressure on supply and demand for abundant, clean water’” (Oregon State
University, Summer 2014).
The American Association of University Women (AAUW), Salem Branch, will sponsor a
talk by master degree students, Susan Elliott and Kelsey Harpham, to discuss water
resources challenges they investigate in the Water Resources Engineering Program at
Oregon State University (OSU). The talk is Wednesday, February 10, beginning at 5:30
p.m. at Broadway Commons, Peru Room #306, 1300 Broadway St. NE in Salem. This
event is free and the public is invited to attend.
Both Elliott and Harpham are AAUW Selected Professions Fellows. They use this
support to investigate critical issues challenging sustainable water resources
management. Selected Professions Fellowships are awarded to women who pursue a
full-time course of study at accredited U.S. institutions during the fellowship year in
designated degree programs where women’s participation traditionally has been low.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Susan Elliott has a BS in Life Science and has worked with Columbia Riverkeeper,
Quantum Spacial, and as a whitewater guide on river systems worldwide. At OSU, she
investigates the feedbacks between Reed Canarygrass, an invasive riparian species,
and the morphology of streams. She seeks to understand how a stream's biological
processes can change the course of the river and impact flooding potential and salmon
habitat.
Kelsey Harpham has a BA in Urban and Environmental Policy. She has worked at
CH2M Hill and the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. Her research focuses on
groundwater flow in the Central Oregon area, and if groundwater recharge might
augment water storage in an increasingly water stressed region.
For more information contact Sally Hollemon, (503) 391-8978.
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Photos of speakers are on next page.
Susan Elliott
Kelsey Harpham