Water is becoming our most critical natural
resource, and finding sustainable solutions for water challenges will require
the combined efforts of much of the private and public sector workforce.
We hope the interdisciplinary nature of the this seminar will have broad appeal
to students and will introduce to them the many future possibilities, including
higher education, for contributing to an issue that affects the entire world.
“Water for Agriculture:
Linking social, economic, and biophysical sciences to help solve critical water
problems in agricultural, rural and urbanizing areas"
Dr. James P. Dobrowolski
USDA-National Institute of Food
and Agriculture (NIFA)
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Computer Science Instructional
Center (UMCP)
4:00 PM Lecture in Room 1121
5:00 PM Green Reception in Atrium
Nearby parking is free after 4pm.
Abstract: Agriculture,
across the value chain, is the greatest consumptive user of water resources in
the United States and around the world. Perhaps the greatest challenge facing
agricultural producers will be increased agricultural production to meet rising
demand in the face of limited water resources. The USDA National Institute of
Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Water for Agriculture science, education and
extension/outreach (REE) portfolio engages knowledge and technology, incentives,
and policies to promote appropriate decision making. It focuses on developing
solutions for water management that form a nexus across food, water, climate,
energy, human health and the environment. Funding will continue to be used to
develop technologies and tools for a broad group of stakeholders to sustain and
improve water availability. I will present NIFA’s systems approach to
public funding that links social, economic and behavioral sciences with
biophysical sciences and engineering to address water and watershed issues.
Biography: Jim Dobrowolski is a
watershed scientist and National Program Leader for Water and Rangeland and
Grassland Ecosystems Programs. His portfolio of competitive programs includes
the Agricultural Food and Research Initiative’s Water for Agriculture Water
Challenge Area and management of the National Integrated Water Quality Program,
and he leads the agency in developing a systems approach to water availability
from working, rural and urbanizing lands, rangeland and grassland ecosystem
management and conservation effects of cropland and grazing land
practices. Dobrowolski provides agency liaison to OSTP and he is
one of the principal architects of the “Agricultural Water Security” initiative
for the Research, Education and Economics (REE) mission area of USDA (now,
Water for Agriculture) that focusses on the need to maintain adequate water
supplies to meet the food, fiber, ecosystem and energy needs of an expanding
population. Prior to USDA-NIFA, Dobrowolski was a tenured teaching/research
professor for 16 years in watershed science (water quality and quantity) at
Utah State University, Logan (1984-2000), and a tenured extension/research
professor studying the effects of vegetation buffers on nutrient attenuation
and other water-related issues for seven years at Washington State University,
Pullman (2000-2006). Dobrowolski received his PhD in Hydrology and Watershed
Management from Texas A&M University, Master of Science in Rangeland
Ecology from Washington State University and Bachelor of Science from the
University of California at Davis.
