We are an interdisciplinary research group in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, under the direction of Assistant Professor Ashlynn Stillwell. Our work lies at the intersection of engineering and public policy, focusing on the energy-water nexus.

Energy and water are two critical resources that are highly interconnected. Delivery of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation of wastewater depend on reliable energy supplies. Mining and refining of fuels, cultivation of energy crops, and generation of electricity depend on water resources with varying, location-specific impacts to water quantity and quality. The intricacies of energy and water resources overlap with public policy such that a need exists for coordinated efforts between engineers and policymakers regarding resource management and use. In the Stillwell Research Group, we are training new leaders in the energy-water nexus field who combine engineering and policy into useful tools for resource management.