Global Water Initiative

Global Water Initiative - People

The GWI Team

A Pan-University Approach: The GWI's Strength Is Its People

The greatest strength of the Global Water Initiative at UVA is its people — a broad coalition of University leaders, academics and researchers. With more than 25 UVA professors contributing their expertise across fields including architecture, business, economics, engineering, environmental sciences, history, law, leadership and public policy, and nursing, the GWI represents a unique, pan-University collaboration that is unique at both UVA and among academic water research centers.

Supporting Deans

Scott Beardsley

Scott Beardsley

Dean, Darden School of Business

Ila Berman

Ila Berman

Dean, School of Architecture

Leadership Team

Peter Debaere

Peter Debaere

Executive Director, Darden School of Business

Teresa Culver

Teresa Culver

Director of Programs, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Michael Pace

Michael Pace

Director of Research, Department of Environmental Sciences

April Ballard

April Ballard

Center for Global Health

Supporting Faculty 

There are 25 faculty members affiliated with the initiative from the College of Arts and Sciences (Economics, Environmental Science, History), the Darden School of Business, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Batten School of Public Policy, the Law School, the School of Nursing and the School of Architecture.

  • College of Arts and Science

    ECONOMICS

    Charles Holt, A. Willis Robertson Professor of Political Economy. Research area in GWI: water market design 
    Spencer Phillips, Lecturer. Research area in GWI: water quality 
    Sheetal Sekhri, Associate Professor of Economics. Research area in GWI: water quality, water markets (for drinking water), water access

    ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

    Lawrence Band, Professor of Environmental Sciences. Research area in GWI: water quality, water in urban environments (public utilities) 
    Paolo D’Odorico  (formerly at UVA), Professor of Hydrology, at UC Berkeley. Research area in GWI: water scarcity, water markets 
    Deborah Lawrence, Professor of Environmental Sciences. Research area in GWI: water and climate change, water and land use 
    James N. Galloway, Sidman P. Poole Professor of Environmental Sciences. Research area in GWI: water quality, water footprint 
    Salvi Asefi Najafabadi, Postdoctorate. Research area in GWI: water and climate change 
    Michael Pace (Director of Research GWI), Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences. Research area in GWI: water markets, water quality 
    Matthew Reidenbach, Associate Professor Environmental Science. Research area in GWI: Water quality

    HISTORY

    Chris Gratien, Professor of History. Research area in GWI: water and health, infrastructure
    Christian McMillan, Professor of History. Research area in GWI: water and health, water quality

    MIDDLE EASTERN & SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES & CULTURES

    Tessa Farmer, Assistant Professor. Research area in GWI: water and infrastructure

  • School of Engineering and Applied Science

    Teresa Culver, Program Director, GWI; Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Research area in GWI: water quality, water infrastructure 
    Geoffrey Geise, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. Research area in GWI: water infrastructure, desalination 
    Garrick Louis, Associate Professor of Systems and Information Engineering (courtesy appointments in Civil and Environmental Engineering and in Engineering and Society). Research area in GWI: water quality, water infrastructure, water-energy nexus 
    John Scully, Charles Henderson Chaired Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Co-Director of Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering. Research area in GWI: water quality, water infrastructure 
    James Smith, Henry L. Kinnier Professor of Environmental Engineering. Research area in GWI: water quality, innovation 

  • School of Architecture

    Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning in the School of Architecture. Research area in GWI: water infrastructure 
    Brian Richter, Adjunct Professor, Senior Water Scientist Nature Conservancy. Research area in GWI: water markets, water scarcity 
    Inaki Alday, Quesada Professor of Architecture, Director of the Yamuna River Project. Research area in GWI: water infrastructure 

  • Darden School of Business

    Peter Debaere, Executive Director, GWI; Associate Professor of Business Administration. Research area in GWI: water markets, water scarcity, water quality 
    Mike Lenox, Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business. Research area in GWI: corporate social responsibility and water 
    Elena Loutskina, Associate Professor of Business Administration. Research area in GWI: water infrastructure and financing 
    Tianshu Li, Postdoc. Research area in GWI: water markets

  • Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

    Molly Lipscomb, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics. Research area in GWI: Water Infrastructure, water-energy nexus 
    Jay Shimshack, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics. Research area in GWI: Water Policy, corporate social responsibility 
    Allan Stam, Professor of Public Policy and Politics.
    William Shobe, Director the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Professor of Public Policy. Research area in GWI: water market design 
    Robbi Savage, Executive Director Rivanna Conservation Alliance, Adjunct Instructor. Research area in GWI: water policy, storm water 

  • Law School

    Cale Jaffe, Assistant Professor of Environmental Law, Director of the Environmental and Regulatory Law Clinic. Research area in GWI: water quality

  • School of Nursing

    Kristen Wells, Assistant Professor. Research area in GWI: water quality 

  • Support Staff

    Melissa Collier 
    Tyla Gallegos