Stone Nwamadi
Years in the program: 2024- 2025
Mentors: Dr. Katherine Brown, and Dr. Jennifer Proft
Title of Projects/Products:
- Stone Nwamadi1, Ira Narang2, Alex Marden3, Michael Shensky3, Clint Dawson2,4, Jennifer Proft2, Katherine Brown2,6. Assessing the Role of Natural Barriers in Protecting Crops in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Poster Presentation. 79th Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Meeting, Mission, TX, February 27-28, 2024.
- Stone Nwamadi1, Ira Narang2, Alex Marden3, Michael Shensky3, Clint Dawson2,4, Jennifer Proft2, Katherine Brown2,6. Assessing the Role of Natural Barriers in Protecting Crops in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Poster Presentation. TACCSTER 2024, September 23-25, 2024.
Where I am now:
At this time, I am working as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Brown at the University of Texas at Austin. I have had a great experience within the EFAS program and have gained vast knowledge regarding new and interesting software, pressing environmental issues, and extensive data on agriculture. I intend to remain in this lab for the remainder of my undergraduate career and am eager to present my findings.
Floods pose significant threats to crop and vegetation areas, particularly in the southern Texas region of the lower Rio Grande Valley. Geological software analysis demonstrates that nature-based solutions, such as dunes and barrier islands, are crucial for mitigating flood damage in this area.
The Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) was used for the mapping of crop data.
The Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model output, generated using Frontera at TACC, was used for data collection of flood-induced water level changes. Three main categories were analyzed when determining the effectiveness of nature based solutions against flooding agriculture, vegetation, and social vulnerability. Generating and layering crop maps with QGIS and combining them with the flooding areas shown by the ADCIRC model was the process used to see the effects of natural based barriers in flooding in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
The objective this research aims to accomplish is to communicate the importance of natural barriers in agricultural preservation and protection. Local communities that rely on agriculture and policy makers in flood-prone regions would benefit from this information by implementing mitigation strategies that have been proven to be effective against floods and promote agricultural development. I have had the privilege to speak about this research at events, such as TACCSTER 2024 and the Planet Texas 2050 Symposium.