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Ryan Emanuel

Associate Professor of Hydrology
Environmental Social Systems
9 Circuit Dr., Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Ryan Emanuel is a hydrologist and community-engaged scholar from North Carolina. He studies ecohydrology, biogeosciences, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights. Emanuel leads a group of researchers and scholars who study water and watery places - including Indigenous peoples’ cultural attachments to these places. His group partners with Native American Tribes and other communities to understand environmental change through the lenses of environmental justice and Indigenous rights. Their work involves a complementary mix of research, education, and relationship-building. Through all of this work, Emanuel and his group aim to amplify voices of Indigenous and other marginalized communities who shoulder disproportionate environmental burdens and who have been largely excluded from decision-making about the future of their home lands and waters. Emanuel is a long-time member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the American Geophysical Union. He has served on national scientific boards as well as state and local boards focused on American Indian education.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Hydrology · 2025 - Present Environmental Social Systems, Nicholas School of the Environment

In the News


Published May 13, 2025
Trump supports full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe. What does the path forward look like?
Published March 13, 2025
In North Carolina, Trump administration’s anti-climate deregulation agenda comes to a head
Published February 24, 2025
Can the Lumbee gain tribal recognition? Trump actions provide hope, but hurdles remain

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Recent Publications


Over, Under, and Through: Hydrologic Connectivity and the Future of Coastal Landscape Salinization

Journal Article Water Resources Research · July 1, 2025 Seawater intrusion (SWI) affects coastal landscapes worldwide. Here we describe the hydrologic pathways through which SWI occurs - over land via storm surge or tidal flooding, under land via groundwater transport, and through watersheds via natural and art ... Full text Cite

Surface waters in socially vulnerable areas are disproportionately under-monitored for nutrients in the US South Atlantic-Gulf region

Journal Article Nature Water · July 1, 2025 This study investigates whether active water quality monitoring stations are proportionately distributed across communities of varying social vulnerability. We specifically focus on nutrient monitoring of surface waters in the South Atlantic-Gulf region, a ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


THELORACS: Tree Health Evaluated using LiDAR, Optical, and Radar Applications across Coastal Systems

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Virginia - Charlottesville · 2022 - 2026

Collaborative Research: ER2 Incubation Project: A Pilot Study of Indigenous Perspectives on Ethical and Responsible Research

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2026

Tribal Coastal Resilience Connections Phase II

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by NC Department of Environmental Quality · 2024 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Virginia · 2007 Ph.D.