Day: April 3, 2012

Speaker: Ms. Kaira Wagoner
Title of presentation: Ceramic Weapons of Mass (Bacterial) Destruction; A Simple, Affordable and Effect Solution to Waterborne Disease
Time: 3-4 pm Wednesday April 4th
Place: 642 DESEB

Bio:
Kaira Wagoner is currently a Environmental Health Sciences PhD student at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. After graduating from Guilford College in 2006, Kaira and her partner Reynaldo Diaz were trained in ceramic filter production by the late Ron Rivera, former Filter Coordinator of Potters for Peace. Since 2008, Kaira has assumed the position of Filter Communication Coordinator for Potters for Peace, and has conducted filter work in Tanzania, Somaliland, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Kenya.

Potters for Peace:
Potters for Peace is a U.S. based nonprofit network of potters, educators, technicians, supporters, and volunteers. Founded in Nicaragua in 1986, we work with clay artisans in Central America and worldwide on ceramic water purification projects. Every day 5,000 children die due to unsanitary water (WHO 2005). Since 1998 Potters for Peace has traveled the world teaching the fabrication of a low-cost ceramic water filter that can bring clean, potable water to those who need it most. We do not make, store or distribute ceramic water filters nor do we operate filter production facilities. Instead, we assist responsible local partners to set up filter production and distribution facilities.

Video of seminar: Ceramic Weapons of Mass (Bacterial) Destruction; A Simple, Affordable and Effect Solution to Waterborne Disease

Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar April 5th:
Time: 4-5pm, Thursday (April. 5th); location: Dow 642, Public welcome

Topic: Climate Informed Flood Risk Projections
Presenter: Casey Fritsch, Master student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, (Adviser: Dr. Veronica Griffis)

Abstract: Standard procedures for forecasting flood risk (Bulletin 17B) assume annual maximum flood (AMF) series are stationary, meaning the distribution of flood flows is not significantly affected by climatic trends/cycles, or anthropogenic activities within the watershed. Historical flood events are therefore considered representative of future flood occurrences, and the risk associated with a given flood magnitude is modeled as constant over time. However, in light of increasing evidence to the contrary, this assumption should be reconsidered, especially as the existence of nonstationarity in AMF series can have significant impacts on planning and management of water resources and relevant infrastructure. Research presented in this thesis quantifies the degree of nonstationarity evident in AMF series for unimpaired watersheds throughout the contiguous U.S., identifies meteorological, climatic, and anthropogenic causes of this nonstationarity, and proposes an extension of the Bulletin 17B methodology which yields forecasts of flood risk that reflect climatic influences on flood magnitude.