Elizabeth W. Boyer

Professor of Environmental Science, Department of Ecosystem Science & Management
Co-hire, Institute of Energy & the Environment
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Education: B.S. Geography, with a minor in Science, Technology, & Society, Penn State University | M.S. & Ph.D., Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia | Post-doc, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University

Interests: hydrological processes, water quality, environmental systems, science-technology-society interactions, interdisciplinary research

Research: Water is essential to life, sustains diverse ecosystems, and is at the core of sustainable development. My research investigates the natural and anthropogenic processes that affect the water cycle and water quality. Primary interests include: 1) Coupled Processes — exploring how hydrological, biological, geochemical, and human processes control the status and trends of water quality in precipitation, groundwater, and surface waters; 2) Influences of Multiple Drivers — Assessing the impact of climate change, land use, atmospheric deposition, soil health, and management practices on the movement and pollution of water in stream and river networks; and 3) Sustainable Management — Applying principles of eco-hydrological systems for watershed protection and sustainable management of freshwater resources. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of my research, I have worked with >500 collaborators from around the world on my publications. My work provides a scientific basis for policies and management strategies to mitigate the effects of pollution and to protect, conserve, and restore freshwater.

Much of my current research is conducted in the context of integrated systems studies of the critical zone. I was a founding co-PI of the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory in California and led research at the Leading Ridge Watersheds within the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory in Pennsylvania. Currently, I serve as a co-PI of the national hub for the U.S. Critical Zone Collaborative Network (CZNet) and of the international Critical Zone network-of-networks (CZInt), which promote interdisciplinary research, open data, and synthesis to understand complex landscapes and address environmental challenges. Current sponsored research projects:

Enabling, Supporting, and Communicating Critical Zone Research — Network Hub of the US Critical Zone Collaborative Network. Sponsor: National Science Foundation.
Accelerating Critical Zone Science with an International Network of Networks. Sponsor: National Science Foundation.
Uncovering the Role of Stemflow in the Cycling of Water and Solutes in Coastal Forests Under Stress from Sea Level Rise. Sponsor: National Science Foundation.
Land Use, Water Quality, and Aquatic Life: A Big Data Approach to Understanding Ecohydrological Interactions in Pennsylvania. Sponsor: National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Water Academy 2024: Empowering Interdisciplinary Scholars for Future Challenges. Sponsor: U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center.

Advising: I enjoy working with students toward achieving their academic and professional goals. Student research projects typically involve some combination of field sampling, hydrological modeling, data synthesis, and/or stakeholder engagement. I encourage undergraduate students in the Department’s various undergraduate majors to participate in independent study courses or part-time jobs to gain research experience. Water is a cross-cutting research area, and I advise graduate students majoring in the Department’s graduate majors: Ecology, Forest Resources, Soil Science, or Wildlife and Fisheries Science. I also advise graduate students in interdisciplinary dual-title degree programs in Biogeochemistry, International Agriculture & Development, Operations Research, or Transdisciplinary Research on Environment and Society. Penn State’s Graduate School offers many services and opportunities for students, and the graduate application process is described here.

Service: I have a longstanding commitment to facilitating interdisciplinary research and connecting scientific knowledge to policy. At Penn State: I currently serve on the university Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate Committee on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. I served for ~12 years as Assistant Director of Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment (the central organizing structure for environmental research across the University) and as Director of the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center (one of 54 centers at land-grant universities comprising the National Institutes of Water Resources). Outside of the University: I have participated for >15 years in various science advisory committees of the US Environmental Protection Agency, focused on the ecological effects of air pollution and sustainable water resources. I recently served a 2-year rotation as a Program Director for the Hydrologic Sciences Program and the Geoinformatics Program at the US National Science Foundation.

Honors: AAAS Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science | Paul A. Witherspoon Award, American Geophysical Union, for innovative interdisciplinary research in the hydrologic sciences by a mid-career scientist | Alex & Jesse Black Award for excellence in research, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State Interdisciplinary Affiliations: