Kate Giannini, program manager at the Iowa Flood Center (IFC), received a Fulbright Award for a six-week research exchange with Deltares in Delft, Netherlands.
The experience connected her with water resource professionals and researchers from around the world and opened new opportunities to expand existing collaborations.
“Deltares is internationally recognized and leads programs that closely mirror our work, everything from watershed management to water monitoring, drought, and flood resilience,” Giannini said.
During the exchange, Giannini worked alongside Deltares’ floodrisk management and climate adaptation teams on a pilot project applying their FloodAdapt planning tool to an Iowa community. FloodAdapt allows communities to look ahead — testing flood scenarios, comparing adaptation strategies, and gaining practical insights into how future floods could impact residents and critical infrastructure.
The team selected Columbus Junction, Iowa, for the study, based on the IFC’s longstanding partnership with the community and its unique position at the confluence of the Iowa and Cedar rivers. It is the first inland U.S. community to pilot the model, with plans to scale the approach to additional communities and regions.
Giannini also shared the IFC’s nationally recognized expertise in flood monitoring, prediction tools, water resource management, and community engagement.
“We’re able to leverage the work we’ve done in Iowa to strengthen their modeling capabilities and exchange ideas and resources that advance both of our research programs,” Giannini said. “There’s tremendous value in working together and learning from perspectives across the world.”
Giannini plans to remain closely connected with the Deltares team and hopes to return in the coming years to continue expanding the partnership.
Marian Muste, a research engineer and adjunct professor in the College of Engineering, was awarded a Fulbright for spring 2026.
He was hosted by the Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering (FESE) at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. During his Fulbright assignment, Muste taught and conducted research on monitoring water quantity and quality in rivers. This marks Muste’s fifth Fulbright award.
“The main impetus for applying for the scholarship is to expand and elevate the ongoing collaboration with Romanian colleagues at FESE,” Muste said. “As an academic professional in water engineering in Romania (until 1991), and later, as a researcher and educator in the U.S. for 35 years, I have continuously admired the growth of FESE, a school that did not exist in my country in my college years.”
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Through the program, University of Iowa faculty members, staff, and administrators have opportunities to conduct advanced research, teach abroad, and make an impact on their host communities.
“My previous Fulbright awards immensely benefited my professional growth,” Muste said. “These experiences made me a confident ‘ambassador’ of my country abroad.”
Patent awarded
The United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded Muste a patent for developing a physics-based approach for measuring river flow.
Muste’s measurement system continuously and simultaneously measures multiple river flow variables, including stage, velocity, and free-surface slope.
Dean Ann McKenna congratulates Marian Muste for his 30-year longevity award at the annual College of Engineering Longevity and Excellence Awards celebration.