I grew up in a small farming suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan where my parents greatly enforced the value of curiosity and discovery. Being surrounded by freshwater my entire life fostered a deep appreciation for the environment and the dynamic interactions between humans and varying ecosystems. During my undergraduate experience at The Ohio State University, I was able to utilize my passion as well as supporting coursework to perform research of groundwater contamination. My Bachelor’s Thesis redirected my interests from analyzing water issues that had already occurred to prevention of water issues that may arise. In my graduate education, my goal is to directly impact people in a positive way through science discovery which is why I work with the Hydrogeology Lab at MSU.
Research Interests
I am interested in the effects of anthropogenic water use on overall environmental, economic, and energetic sustainability. A majority of water withdrawal is used for agricultural irrigation, and irrigation is paramount to sustainability. Through data analysis and the use of models created by the hydrogeology lab, the USGS, and more, I investigate the impacts of agricultural irrigation on the energy footprint and water resources of the Central Valley in California.
Education
- PhD Student August 2018-Present, Environmental Geosciences, Michigan State University
- BS Earth Sciences 2014, The Ohio State University, magna cum laude, with Honors in Arts & Sciences, and Honors Research Distinction in Earth Sciences
Recent Abstracts
- Brady, A.J., Schwartz, F.W., 2018, Serendipity in events leading to groundwater contamination in Elkhart, IN. The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. Columbus, OH.
- Brady, A.J., Schwartz, F.W., 2017, Groundwater contamination caused by serendipitous events at Elkhart, IN. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA.