Ryan Emanuel
Associate Professor of Hydrology
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 in North Carolina and beyond. His group also partners with Native American Tribes and other communities to understand environmental change through the lenses of environmental justice and Indigenous rights. Their work involves research, education, and relationship-building. Emanuel aims to amplify voices of Indigenous and other marginalized communities who shoulder disproportionate environmental burdens.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Associate Professor of Hydrology, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment 2022
Contact Information
- Background
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Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of Virginia 2007
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Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Adjunct Associate Professor in the Environmental Sciences and Policy Division, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment 2021
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Academic Positions Outside Duke
- Professor, North Carolina State University. 2020 - 2021
- Associate Professor, North Carolina State University. 2015 - 2020
- Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University. 2010 - 2015
- Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow, Appalachian State University. 2007 - 2010
- Recognition
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In the News
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MAY 27, 2022 Border Belt Independent -
APR 21, 2022 Outside Magazine -
FEB 14, 2022 Yale Environment 360 -
DEC 17, 2021 Eos -
NOV 22, 2021 Eos -
OCT 27, 2021 Indian Country Today -
OCT 21, 2021 Nicholas School of the Environment -
JUN 4, 2021 National Geographic
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Awards & Honors
- Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professorship. North Carolina State University. 2020
- Benjamin N. Duke Fellowship of the Research Triangle Foundation and Donnelley Family Fellowship. National Humanities Center. 2020
- Nominee, Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. University of North Carolina Board of Governors. 2020
- William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations. Wildacres Leadership Initiative. 2020
- Distinguished Service to Indian Education. United Tribes of North Carolina. 2019
- Nominee, Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. University of North Carolina Board of Governors. 2019
- Steve Wing International Environmental Justice Award. North Carolina Environmental Justice Network. 2019
- University Sustainability Award (The Green Brick). North Carolina State University. 2018
- Expertise
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Subject Headings
- Research
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Selected Grants
- THELORACS: Tree Health Evaluated using LiDAR, Optical, and Radar Applications across Coastal Systems awarded by University of Virginia - Charlottesville 2022 - 2025
- Collaborative Research: Quantifying the Amount and Functional Significance of Long-term Stored-water in Trees awarded by National Science Foundation 2022 - 2023
- Managing Forest System Diversity to Enhance Resilience and Ecosystem Services awarded by Department of Agriculture 2022 - 2023
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External Relationships
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of Georgia
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Publications & Artistic Works
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Selected Publications
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Academic Articles
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Caretta, M. A., & Emanuel, R. E. (2023). Does shale gas development impact property values in Central Appalachia? A mixed methods critical exploration (Accepted). Extractive Industries and Society, 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2023.101251Full Text
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Neville, J. A., Emanuel, R. E., Ardón, M., & Pavelsky, T. (2023). Location and Design of Flow Control Structures Differentially Influence Salinity Patterns in Small Artificial Drainage Systems (Accepted). Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 149(6). https://doi.org/10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-5840Full Text
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Gay, E. T., Martin, K. L., Caldwell, P. V., Emanuel, R. E., Sanchez, G. M., & Suttles, K. M. (2023). Riparian buffers increase future baseflow and reduce peakflows in a developing watershed. The Science of the Total Environment, 862, 160834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160834Full Text
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Swails, E. E., Ardón, M., Krauss, K. W., Peralta, A. L., Emanuel, R. E., Helton, A. M., … Ward, S. (2022). Response of soil respiration to changes in soil temperature and water table level in drained and restored peatlands of the southeastern United States. Carbon Balance and Management, 17(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-022-00219-5Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., & Bird, K. D. (2022). Stories We Tell: Unpacking Extractive Research and Its Legacy of Harm to Lumbee People. Southern Cultures, 28(3), 48–69. https://doi.org/10.1353/scu.2022.0025Full Text
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Neville, J. A., Emanuel, R. E., Nichols, E. G., & Vose, J. (2021). Extreme Flooding and Nitrogen Dynamics of a Blackwater River. Water Resources Research, 57(12). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR029106Full Text
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Jenkins, W., Rosa, L., Schmidt, J., Band, L., Beltran-Peña, A., Clarens, A., … D’Odorico, P. (2021). Values-Based Scenarios of Water Security: Rights to Water, Rights of Waters, and Commercial Water Rights. Bioscience, 71(11), 1157–1170. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab088Full Text
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Harris, A. R., Fidan, E. N., Nelson, N. G., Emanuel, R. E., Jass, T., Kathariou, S., … Stewart, J. R. (2021). Microbial Contamination in Environmental Waters of Rural and Agriculturally-Dominated Landscapes Following Hurricane Florence. Acs Es and T Water, 1(9), 2012–2019. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.1c00103Full Text
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Singh, N. K., Emanuel, R. E., McGlynn, B. L., & Miniat, C. F. (2021). Soil Moisture Responses to Rainfall: Implications for Runoff Generation. Water Resources Research, 57(9). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028827Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Caretta, M. A., Rivers, L., & Vasudevan, P. (2021). Natural Gas Gathering and Transmission Pipelines and Social Vulnerability in the United States. Geohealth, 5(6), e2021GH000442. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gh000442Full Text
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Niedermeyer, J. A., Miller, W. G., Yee, E., Harris, A., Emanuel, R. E., Jass, T., … Kathariou, S. (2020). Search for Campylobacter spp. Reveals High Prevalence and Pronounced Genetic Diversity of Arcobacter butzleri in Floodwater Samples Associated with Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, USA. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 86(20), e01118–e01120. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01118-20Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., & Wilkins, D. E. (2020). Breaching barriers: The fight for indigenous participation in water governance. Water (Switzerland), 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/W12082113Full Text
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Scaife, C. I., Singh, N. K., Emanuel, R. E., Miniat, C. F., & Band, L. E. (2020). Non-linear quickflow response as indicators of runoff generation mechanisms. Hydrological Processes, 34(13), 2949–2964. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13780Full Text
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Tashie, A., Pavelsky, T., & Emanuel, R. E. (2020). Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Baseflow Recession in the Continental United States. Water Resources Research, 56(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026425Full Text
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Saia, S. M., Suttles, K. M., Cutts, B. B., Emanuel, R. E., Martin, K. L., Wear, D. N., … Vose, J. M. (2020). Applying Climate Change Risk Management Tools to Integrate Streamflow Projections and Social Vulnerability. Ecosystems., 23(1), 67–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00387-5Full Text
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Taillie, P. J., Moorman, C. E., Poulter, B., Ardón, M., & Emanuel, R. E. (2019). Decadal-Scale Vegetation Change Driven by Salinity at Leading Edge of Rising Sea Level. Ecosystems., 22(8), 1918–1930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00382-wFull Text
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Rice, J. S., & Emanuel, R. E. (2019). Ecohydrology of Interannual Changes in Watershed Storage. Water Resources Research, 55(10), 8238–8251. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025164Full Text
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Bhattachan, A., Jurjonas, M. D., Morris, P. R., Taillie, P. J., Smart, L. S., Emanuel, R. E., & Seekamp, E. L. (2019). Linking residential saltwater intrusion risk perceptions to physical exposure of climate change impacts in rural coastal communities of North Carolina. Natural Hazards, 97(3), 1277–1295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03706-0Full Text
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Chief, K., Emanuel, R., & Conroy-Ben, O. (2019). Indigenous Symposium on Water Research, Education, and Engagement. Eos, 100. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019eo114313Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E. (2019). Water in the Lumbee world: A river and its people in a time of change. Environmental History, 24(1), 25–51. https://doi.org/10.1093/envhis/emy129Full Text
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Bhattachan, A., Jurjonas, M. D., Moody, A. C., Morris, P. R., Sanchez, G. M., Smart, L. S., … Seekamp, E. L. (2018). Sea level rise impacts on rural coastal social-ecological systems and the implications for decision making. Environmental Science and Policy, 90, 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.10.006Full Text
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Singh, N. K., Emanuel, R. E., Nippgen, F., McGlynn, B. L., & Miniat, C. F. (2018). The Relative Influence of Storm and Landscape Characteristics on Shallow Groundwater Responses in Forested Headwater Catchments. Water Resources Research, 54(12), 9883–9900. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022681Full Text
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Suttles, K. M., Singh, N. K., Vose, J. M., Martin, K. L., Emanuel, R. E., Coulston, J. W., … Crump, M. T. (2018). Assessment of hydrologic vulnerability to urbanization and climate change in a rapidly changing watershed in the Southeast U.S. The Science of the Total Environment, 645, 806–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.287Full Text
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Martin, K. L., Emanuel, R. E., & Vose, J. M. (2018). Terra incognita: The unknown risks to environmental quality posed by the spatial distribution and abundance of concentrated animal feeding operations. The Science of the Total Environment, 642, 887–893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.072Full Text
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zhang, Y., Li, W., sun, G., Miao, G., Noormets, A., Emanuel, R., & King, J. (2018). Understanding coastal wetland hydrology with a new regional scale process-based hydrologic mode. Hydrological Processes. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13247Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E. (2018). Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Journal of Contemporary Water Research &Amp; Education, 163(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2018.03271.xFull Text
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Jackson, C. R., Webster, J. R., Knoepp, J. D., Elliott, K. J., Emanuel, R. E., Caldwell, P. V., & Miniat, C. F. (2018). Unexpected ecological advances made possible by long-term data: A Coweeta example. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/WAT2.1273Full Text
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Bhattachan, A., Emanuel, R. E., Ardón, M., Bernhardt, E. S., Anderson, S. M., Stillwagon, M. G., … Wright, J. P. (2018). Evaluating the effects of land-use change and future climate change on vulnerability of coastal landscapes to saltwater intrusion. Elementa, 6. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.316Full Text
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Reyes, W. M., Epstein, H. E., Li, X., McGlynn, B. L., Riveros-Iregui, D. A., & Emanuel, R. E. (2017). Complex terrain influences ecosystem carbon responses to temperature and precipitation. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 31(8), 1306–1317. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GB005658Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E. (2017). Flawed environmental justice analyses. Science (New York, N.Y.), 357(6348), 260. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2684Full Text
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Rice, J. S., & Emanuel, R. E. (2017). How are streamflow responses to the El Nino Southern Oscillation affected by watershed characteristics? Water Resources Research, 53(5), 4393–4406. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016WR020097Full Text
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Rice, J. S., Emanuel, R. E., & Vose, J. M. (2016). The influence of watershed characteristics on spatial patterns of trends in annual scale streamflow variability in the continental U.S. Journal of Hydrology, 540, 850–860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.07.006Full Text
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Birch, A. L., Emanuel, R. E., James, A. L., & Nichols, E. G. (2016). Hydrologic Impacts of Municipal Wastewater Irrigation to a Temperate Forest Watershed. Journal of Environmental Quality, 45(4), 1303–1312. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2015.11.0577Full Text
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Singh, N. K., Reyes, W. M., Bernhardt, E. S., Bhattacharya, R., Meyer, J. L., Knoepp, J. D., & Emanuel, R. E. (2016). Hydro-Climatological Influences on Long-Term Dissolved Organic Carbon in a Mountain Stream of the Southeastern United States. Journal of Environmental Quality, 45(4), 1286–1295. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2015.10.0537Full Text
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Singh, N. K., Emanuel, R. E., & McGlynn, B. L. (2016). Variability in isotopic composition of base flow in two headwater streams of the southern Appalachians. Water Resources Research, 52(6), 4264–4279. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR018463Full Text
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Nippgen, F., McGlynn, B. L., Emanuel, R. E., & Vose, J. M. (2016). Watershed memory at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory: The effect of past precipitation and storage on hydrologic response. Water Resources Research, 52(3), 1673–1695. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR018196Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Buckley, J. J., Caldwell, P. V., McNulty, S. G., & Sun, G. (2015). Influence of basin characteristics on the effectiveness and downstream reach of interbasin water transfers: Displacing a problem. Environmental Research Letters, 10(12). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124005Full Text
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Du, Z., Riveros-Iregui, D. A., Jones, R. T., McDermott, T. R., Dore, J. E., McGlynn, B. L., … Li, X. (2015). Landscape position influences microbial composition and function via redistribution of soil water across a watershed. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 81(24), 8457–8468. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02643-15Full Text
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Mitchell, S. R., Emanuel, R. E., & McGlynn, B. L. (2015). Land–atmosphere carbon and water flux relationships to vapor pressure deficit, soil moisture, and stream flow. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology., 208, 108–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.04.003Full Text
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Rice, J. S., Emanuel, R. E., Vose, J. M., & Nelson, S. A. C. (2015). Continental U.S. streamflow trends from 1940 to 2009 and their relationships with watershed spatial characteristics. Water Resources Research, 51(8), 6262–6275. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014WR016367Full Text
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Nippgen, F., McGlynn, B. L., & Emanuel, R. E. (2015). The spatial and temporal evolution of contributing areas. Water Resources Research, 51(6), 4550–4573. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014WR016719Full Text
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Rice, J. S., & Emanuel, R. E. (2014). Landscape position and spatial patterns in the distribution of land use within the southern Appalachian Mountains. Physical Geography, 35(5), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2014.909218Full Text
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Liang, L. L., Riveros-Iregui, D. A., Emanuel, R. E., & McGlynn, B. L. (2014). A simple framework to estimate distributed soil temperature from discrete air temperature measurements in data-scarce regions. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 119(2), 407–417. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020597Full Text
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Liang, L. L., Riveros-Iregui, D. A., Emanuel, R. E., & McGlynn, B. L. (2014). A simple framework to estimate distributed soil temperature from discrete air temperature measurements in data-scarce regions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 119(2), 407–417. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020597.Full Text
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Band, L. E., McDonnell, J. J., Duncan, J. M., Barros, A., Bejan, A., Burt, T., … Troch, P. A. (2014). Ecohydrological flow networks in the subsurface. Ecohydrology, 7(4), 1073–1078. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1525Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Hazen, A. G., Mcglynn, B. L., & Jencso, K. G. (2014). Vegetation and topographic influences on the connectivity of shallow groundwater between hillslopes and streams. Ecohydrology, 7(2), 887–895. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1409Full Text
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Kaiser, K. E., Mcglynn, B. L., & Emanuel, R. E. (2013). Ecohydrology of an outbreak: Mountain pine beetle impacts trees in drier landscape positions first. Ecohydrology, 6(3), 444–454. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1286Full Text Open Access Copy
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Emanuel, R. E., Hazen, A. G., Mcglynn, B. L., & Jencso, K. G. (2013). Vegetation and topographic influences on the connectivity of shallow groundwater between hillslopes and streams. Ecohydrology.
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Riveros-Iregui, D. A., Mcglynn, B. L., Emanuel, R. E., & Epstein, H. E. (2012). Complex terrain leads to bidirectional responses of soil respiration to inter-annual water availability. Global Change Biology, 18(2), 749–756. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02556.xFull Text
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Nippgen, F., McGlynn, B. L., Marshall, L. A., & Emanuel, R. E. (2011). Landscape structure and climate influences on hydrologic response. Water Resources Research, 47(12). https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR011161Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Riveros-Iregui, D. A., McGlynn, B. L., & Epstein, H. E. (2011). On the spatial heterogeneity of net ecosystem productivity in complex landscapes. Ecosphere, 2(7). https://doi.org/10.1890/ES11-00074.1Full Text
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Riveros-Iregui, D. A., McGlynn, B. L., Marshall, L. A., Welsch, D. L., Emanuel, R. E., & Epstein, H. E. (2011). A watershed-scale assessment of a process soil CO2 production and efflux model. Water Resources Research, 47(5). https://doi.org/10.1029/2010WR009941Full Text
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LeDee, O. E., Barnes, R. T., Emanuel, R., Fisher, P. B., Henkel, S. K., & Marlon, J. R. (2011). Training a new scientist to meet the challenges of a changing environment. Eos, 92(16), 135. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011EO160002Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Epstein, H. E., McGlynn, B. L., Welsch, D. L., Muth, D. J., & D’Odorico, P. (2010). Spatial and temporal controls on watershed ecohydrology in the northern Rocky Mountains. Water Resources Research, 46(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2009WR008890Full Text
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Anderson, W. P., & Emanuel, R. E. (2010). Effect of interannual climate oscillations on rates of submarine groundwater discharge. Water Resources Research, 46(5). https://doi.org/10.1029/2009WR008212Full Text
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Anderson, W. P., & Emanuel, R. E. (2008). Effect of interannual and interdecadal climate oscillations on groundwater in North Carolina. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(23). https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL036054Full Text
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Riveros-Iregui, D. A., Emanuel, R. E., Muth, D. J., McGlynn, B. L., Epstein, H. E., Welsch, D. L., … Wraith, J. M. (2007). Diurnal hysteresis between soil CO2 and soil temperature is controlled by soil water content. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(17). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030938Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., D’Odorico, P., & Epstein, H. E. (2007). Evidence of optimal water use by vegetation across a range of North American ecosystems. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(7). https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028909Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., D’Odorico, P., & Epstein, H. E. (2007). A dynamic soil water threshold for vegetation water stress derived from stomatal conductance models. Water Resources Research, 43(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR004831Full Text
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Emanuel, R. E., Albertson, J. D., Epstein, H. E., & Williams, C. A. (2006). Carbon dioxide exchange and early old-field succession. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 111(1). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JG000069Full Text
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Book Sections
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Arndt, J. L., Emanuel, R. E., & Richardson, J. L. (2016). Hydrology of wetland and related soils. In Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification: Second Edition (pp. 39–104).
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- Teaching & Mentoring
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Recent Courses
- ENVIRON 506: Environmental Justice: Theory and Practice for Environmental Scientists and Policy Professionals 2023
- ENVIRON 590: Special Topics 2023
- ENVIRON 734: Watershed Hydrology 2023
- ENVIRON 898: Program Area Seminar 2023
- ENVIRON 899: Master's Project 2023
- ISS 395T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team 2023
- ISS 795T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team 2023
- ENVIRON 506: Environmental Justice: Theory and Practice for Environmental Scientists and Policy Professionals 2022
- ENVIRON 899: Master's Project 2022
- Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
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Presentations & Appearances
- Environmental Professionals Radio. National Association of Environmental Professionals. September 2022 2022
- Odum Environmental Ethics Lecture. Willson Center for Humanities and Arts. University of Georgia. April 18, 2022 2022
- Plenary Address. Freshwater Science 2021. Society for Freshwater Science. May 26, 2021 2021
- It's a Greens Thing. Somewhere South. PBS. 2020 2020
- The Seeds of Ghost Forests. Science Friday. NPR. 2019 2019
- Where Rivers Are Born. Exploring North Carolina. UNC-TV. 2014 2014
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Service to the Profession
- Member. Editorial Board. Environmental Justice. September 2022 2022
- Member. Science Advisory Board. United States Environmental Protection Agency. September 2021 2021
- Member. Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering. National Science Foundation. July 2020 2020
- Member. Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. American Geophysical Union. 2019 - 2021 2019 - 2021
- Member. Ecohydrology Technical Committee. American Geophysical Union. 2011 - 2014 2011 - 2014
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