Name: Elliot Anderson 

Hometown: Geneva, IL 

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering 

Research: I study water quality data in Iowa—mainly investigating the concentrations and trends of various pollutants found in the state’s rivers and lakes. My dissertation was particularly focused on estimating the amount of phosphorus leaving Iowa through its major rivers.  

Plans after graduation: I will be staying at the University of Iowa to work as a postdoc for the Iowa Geological Survey, housed within IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering.  

What I enjoyed most about my research/the graduate program: Honestly, the best part about the graduate program was getting to know and work with the other graduate students within my department. I was lucky to overlap with many outstanding people during my time at Iowa. In terms of research, I most enjoyed the challenges of visualizing the data I was studying. It gave me a chance to be creative and gain a novel understanding of Iowa’s water.  

What I’m looking forward to after graduation: I’m hoping to do a bit of traveling and see a few old friends, both of which have been difficult since the pandemic began. I’m also excited to start work as a full-time researcher.