Donor support lifts up his water work

Donor support lifts up his water work
How Ryan Winston of CFAES and his students reach new heights ...
“I’m really appreciative of all the donor funding I’ve received over the past few years.”Ryan Winston

Water creates pathways as it moves, and studying that process, and how to make the best of it, is a root of the research by Ryan Winston.

Donor support, too, creates pathways as it works, and for Winston and his students, these new routes carry them places that they otherwise might not reach.

Winston, an assistant professor in the The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), focuses much of his research on runoff—the movement of rainfall from storms, its effects on the water in lakes and streams, and the effectiveness of stormwater control measures, especially in urban areas.

“Partnerships and donor funding are critical for any research program, and that includes mine,” says Winston, a faculty member in the CFAES Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

“Donor funding helps us do things like send our students to conferences and to professional development, to help them build their experience here at Ohio State.”

Experience also is built through partnerships. Winston’s research program, for example, works with the cities of Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati to help them meet their stormwater goals in sustainable, cost-effective ways.

His program teams up with companies—like Advanced Drainage Systems and Meijer Inc.—to look at ways to further advance the management of water from storms.

Donors empower research and student success

For Winston and his students, support like this is transformational. Winston calls it a “critical piece” of his research program’s infrastructure.

“Those dollars certainly help to support my research and to advance the goals of my research program,” he says. “I’m really appreciative of all the donor funding I’ve received over the past few years.” He talks more about his work and support in the video above.

Consider supporting research like Winston’s—crucial efforts to boost our ability to sustain the quality of our water and planet—by donating to the CFAES Undergraduate Scholarship Fund.

To learn more about supporting CFAES student success and research, please contact Emily Kruse at 614-247-7606 or kruse.192@osu.edu.