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Rebecca Muenich

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School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
Asst Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 3005
Sustainability Scientists and Scholars
Asst Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 3005
Biography

Rebecca Muenich grew up in the rapidly-urbanizing area of Northwest Arkansas where the local conflicts between urban growth, food production and environmental quality were at the forefront of local and national news. Influenced by these ongoing struggles between human-needs and the environment, she chose to direct her personal career path towards understanding how to address human-induced environmental problems.

Muenich is a watershed modeler focused on surface hydrology and water quality, especially in agricultural ecosystems. She focuses on evaluating the impact of land management decisions within the food-energy-water nexus.

Education
  • Ph.D. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University 2015
  • M.S. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University 2011
  • B.S. Biological Engineering, University of Arkansas 2009
Research Website
http://muenichlab.com/
Google Scholar
Google Scholar Profile
Research Interests

Research Gate

  • Watershed and environmental modeling
  • Agricultural ecosystem managment
  • Urban agriculture
  • Food-energy-water nexus
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Climate and land management impacts on surface water hydrology and water quality
  • Multifunctional landscapes to enhance ecosystem services
Research Group

Current Lab Group:

  • Danica Schaffer-Smith, Postdoctoral Scholar
  • Lorrayne Miralha, Ph.D. Student
  • Eleanor Rauh, Ph.D. Student
  • William Krukowski, M.S. Student
  • Noah Rudko, M.S. Researcher
  • Kelly Shea, M.S. Researcher
  • Ivan Bystrov, Undergraduate Researcher
  • Tannis Breure, Undergraduate Researcher
Publications
  1. Kalcic MM, Muenich RL, Basile S, Steiner AL, Kirchhoff C, Scavia D. (2019). Climate Change and Nutrient Loading in the Western Lake Erie Basin: Warming Can Counteract a Wetter Future. Environ. Sci. & Technol., 53(13): 7543-7550. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01274​
  2. Dagnew A, Scavia D, Wang Y-C, Muenich RL, Kalcic MM. (2019). Modeling phosphorus reduction strategies from the international St. Clair-Detroit River system watershed. J. Great Lakes. Res., 45(4): 742-751. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2019.04.005
  3. Dagnew A, Scavia D, Wang Y-C, Muenich RL, Long, CM, Kalcic MM. (2019). Modeling Flow, Nutrient and Sediment Delivery from a Large International Watershed using a Field-Scale SWAT model. J. Amer. Wat. Resourc. Assoc., in press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12779
  4. Li P, Muenich RL, Chaubey I, Wei X, (2019). Evaluating Agricultural BMP Effectiveness in Improving Freshwater Provisioning Under Changing Climate. Wat. Resour. Mgt., 33(2): 453-473. DOI: 10.1007/s11269-018-2098-y​​
  5. Giudice DD, Muenich RL, Kalcic MM, Bosch NS, Scavia D, Michalak AM. (2018). On the practical usefulness of least squares for assessing uncertainty in hydrologic and water quality predictions. Environ. Model. & Software, 105: 286-295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.03.009​​​
  6. Long CM, Muenich RL, Kalcic MM, Scavia D. (2018). Use of manure nutrients from concentration animal feeding operations. J Great Lakes Res., 44(2): 245-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2018.01.006 
  7. Muenich RL, Kalcic MM, Winsten J, Fisher K, Day M, O’Neil G, Wang Y-C, Scavia D. (2017). Pay-for-performance conservation using SWAT highlights need for field-level agricultural conservation. Trans. ASABE., 60(6): 1925-1937. DOI: 10.13031/trans.12379
  8. Raj C, Chaubey I, Muenich RL, et al. (2017). Influence of bioenergy crop production and climate change on ecosystem services. J. Amer. Water Resour. Assoc., 53(6). DOI: 10.1111/1752-1688.12591
  9. Xu X, Wang Y-C, Kalcic M, Muenich RL, Yang Y-C E, Scavia D. (2017). Evaluating the impact of climate change on fluvial flood risk in a mixed-use watershed. Environ. Model. & Software. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.07.013 
  10. Scavia D, Kalcic MM, Muenich RL, et al. (2017). Multiple models guide strategies for agricultural nutrient reductions. Frontiers in Ecol. & Environ., 15(3):123-132. DOI: 1002/fee.1472.
  11. Steinman AD, et al., and Muenich RL. (2017). Ecosystem services in the Great Lakes. J.Great Lakes Res., 43(3): 161-168. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2017.02.004
  12. Muenich RL, Kalcic M, Scavia D. (2016). Evaluating the impact of legacy P and agricultural conservation practices on nutrient loads from the Maumee River Watershed. Environ. Sci. & Technol., 50(15). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01421.
  13. Muenich RL, Chaubey I, Pyron M. (2016). Evaluating potential water quality drivers of a fish regime shift in the Wabash River using the SWAT model. Ecol. Modelling, 340: 116-125. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.09.010
  14. Muenich RL, Bowling LC, Peel S, et al. (2016). The Wabash sampling blitz: A study on the effectiveness of citizen science. Citizen Sci. Theory & Practice, 1(1): 3, 1-15. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.1
  15. Kalcic M, Kirchhoff C, Bosch N, Muenich RL, et al. (2016). Engaging stakeholders to define feasible and desirable agricultural conservation in Western Lake Erie watersheds. Environ. Sci. & Technol., 50(15). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01420.
  16. Dennedy-Frank PJ, Muenich RL, Chaubey I, Ziv G. (2016). Comparing two tools for ecosystem service assessments regarding water resources decisions. J. Environ. Mgt., 177: 331-340. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.03.012
  17. Li P, Chaubey I, Muenich RL, Wei X. (2016). Evaluation of freshwater ecosystem service provision in the Upper Mississippi River Basin: current status and drivers. Water 8(7):288. DOI: 10.3390/w8070288
  18. Logsdon RA, Kalcic MM, Trybula EM, Chaubey I, Frankenberger J. (2015). Ecosystem services and Indiana agriculture: Farmers’ and conservationists’ perceptions. Interntl. J. Biodiv. Sci., Ecosys. Services & Mgt. 11(3): 262-282. DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2014.998711.
  19. Logsdon RA, Chaubey I. (2013). A quantitative approach to evaluating ecosystem services. Ecol. Modelling, 257: 57-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.02.009
Summer 2019
Course NumberCourse Title
CEE 590Reading and Conference
CEE 599Thesis
CEE 790Reading and Conference
CEE 792Research
Spring 2019
Course NumberCourse Title
EVE 214Envr Engineer Mechanics
CEE 790Reading and Conference
CEE 792Research
CEE 799Dissertation
Fall 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
EVE 394Special Topics
CEE 494Special Topics
EVE 494Special Topics
CEE 598Special Topics
CEE 790Reading and Conference
CEE 792Research
Summer 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
CEE 790Reading and Conference
Spring 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
EVE 214Envr Engineer Mechanics
Fall 2017
Course NumberCourse Title
CEE 598Special Topics
Honors / Awards
  1. National Science Foundation Gradaute Research Fellowship, 2009
  2. Robert E. Stewart Engineering and Humanites Award, American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers, 2011
  3. France A. Cordova Leadership in Action Award, Purdue University, 2014
  4. Emily M. Wadsworth Graduate Mentoring Award, Women in Engineering Program, Purdue University, 2012
  5. ABE Outstanding Service Award, Purdue University College of Engineering, 2014
Professional Associations
  1. American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers
  2. American Geophysical Union
  3. Association of Environmental Science and Engineering Professors
  4. American Society of Civil Engineers
  5. International Water Association
Service
  1. Research Scientist, Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance
  2. International Joint Commission Fertilizer Work Group
  3. Great Lakes Harmful Aglal Blooms Collaboratory
Expertise Areas
Food, Water, and Energy Nexus
Watershed Hydrology
Water Resource Management
Ecosystem Services
Agriculture