Graduate Students

Brian D. Apple

Brian Apple

Brian Apple has a B.S. in Forestry and Natural Resources from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is currently obtaining a second B.S. in Environmental Resource Engineering as well as a M.S. in Environmental Systems from Humboldt State University. Brian'ss main area of interest is water resources engineering and he will be developing a groundwater model of the Henry'ss Fork watershed which takes into account surface water interactions.
Brian has approximately nine months of working experience in taking field measurements of channel cross-sections and stream discharges (wading and bridge techniques), as well as over two years of experience in working outdoors in a natural setting. This project interests Brian because it incorporates the physical/practical aspects of hydrologic monitoring with the technical aspect of groundwater modeling and the socioeconomic aspect of balancing agricultural irrigation supply with future development while maintaining adequate streamflow for aquatic species.

Kimberly Dawn Peterson

Kimberly Peterson

Kimberly will be working on a mathematical model of the Henry'ss Fork watershed. The model will include the interaction of surface and groundwater. Kimberly will be spending two summers collecting streamflow measurements for the model. A major interest in modeling the watershed is to determine the hydrologic impacts of altering land use practices.
Kimberly was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho and obtained a BS degree in Mathematics at Idaho State University in 2007. She recently moved to Arcata, California to attend Humboldt State University working toward a M.S. degree in the Mathematical Modeling option of the Environmental Systems program. She is hoping to have completed the M.S. program by the fall of 2010.
In 2005 Kimberly received a grant to develop a mathematical model of Teton Creek in eastern Idaho. She collaborated with Dr. Rob Van Kirk over the summer of 2005 in developing the model. This work led to a summer internship with Friends of the Teton River in 2006. The internship focused on measuring streamflows throughout the Teton watershed. This experience will aid in the modeling process on the Henry'ss Fork watershed.
In her spare time, Kimberly enjoys snowboarding, fly fishing and camping. She has spent 25 years exploring the outdoors of Idaho and looks forward to discovering northern California'ss beauty.

Lora Liegel

Lora Liegel

Lora will be examining land-use changes, demographic shifts and water-use patterns within Henry'ss Fork Watershed. Part of this work will include quantifying the amount of irrigated agricultural land changing to non-agriculture uses such as to subdivisions and other types of housing developments. She will also be examining water rights and water rights transfers over time. As part of this work, she is looking forward to conversing with land owners, watershed stakeholders, county and municipal planners, land developers and other members of the region.
In fall 2008, Lora began her first year of graduate school in the Environment and Community M.A. in Social Science Program at Humboldt State University. Lora'ss undergraduate degree was completed at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where she also grew up. Lora'ss broad interdisciplinary undergraduate coursework in geography and Spanish helped spur her interests in studying the connections between humans, water and land-use. From 2001-2007, she worked for the USDA-Agriculture Research Service on a hop research project in Corvallis. Lora'ss personal long-term educational goals are to study, use, and evaluate collaborative research approaches similar to those in the USDA project. These approaches recognize that understanding relationships between social, ecological and hydrological processes is a complex, multifaceted endeavor, requiring interdisciplinary methods.
When Lora is not in class, studying or working, she enjoys road-biking, playing Ultimate, hiking and gardening.