ASCE Member Affiliated with Valparaiso University Secures 2025 Renewable Natural Resource Foundation to Study Local Climate Impacts and Advance Ecosystem Restoration
Valparaiso University has secured funding through the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation’s (RNRF) 2025 Grant Program to support interdisciplinary research exploring how land restoration and regenerative practices shape environmental systems and community conditions. The grant team includes an individual who is a member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
The project, “Integrating Soil, Water, and Atmospheric Monitoring to Evaluate Ecosystem Restoration and Regeneration,” will examine how wetland restoration, prairie ecosystems, and regenerative agricultural practices influence soil properties and land atmosphere interactions in Northwest Indiana. By integrating measurements across the soil–atmosphere interface, the research will evaluate how changes in soil and land surface conditions affect local microclimates, including temperature, humidity, and moisture fluxes.
The study also explores potential impacts on meteorological variables linked to human comfort and health, such as heat and humidity. Through this integrated approach, the project aims to better understand how ecosystem restoration and regenerative land management practices shape both environmental conditions and atmospheric processes at local and regional scales.
ASCE has been a proud member of RNRF for years. RNRF was established as a consortium of scientific, professional, educational, design, and engineering organizations whose primary purpose was advancing science, applying science, and public education in managing and conserving renewable natural resources. The RNRF Grant Program supports organizations advancing renewable natural resource conservation through evidence-based research, community engagement, and cross disciplinary collaboration. Learn more at RNRF.org.