RACC Member Beverley Wemple Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant
Dr. Beverley Wemple, Associate Professor, Department of Geography at the University of Vermont was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant for 2016-17. Dr. Wemple will be continuing a project that she started in 2013 (Mazar River Project) and studying geomorphology of mountain rivers on the eastern cordillera of the Andes in Ecuador to construct the first hydraulic geometry for rivers of this region.
The overarching goals of Dr. Wemple's Fulbright proposal are to develop baseline data on Ecuadorian rivers as a basis for tracking future environmental change and to contribute to capacity building among Ecuadorian students and local stakeholders. The Fulbright grant will also enable Dr. Wemple to construct the first hydraulic geometry for rivers of that region by studying the geomorphology of mountain rivers on the eastern cordillera of the Andes in Ecuador.
The Mazar River Project generates information about stream flow and sediment to inform watershed management in the high-mountain areas of southern Ecuador. The Project is a collaboration between the Fundación Cordillera Tropical, the University of Vermont, and public hydroelectric companies in Ecuador. It includes three major initiatives:
Scientific research on stream flow and sediment transport.
Capacity building for Ecuadorian University students and professionals.
Interventions to reduce erosion of sediment off nearby landscapes.
The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, and it is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. As a Fulbright grantee, Dr. Wemple will join the ranks of distinguished participants in the Program. Since its beginnings in 1946, more than 360,000 Fulbrighters have participated in the Program.
