My name is Eric and I’m an aspiring water scientist!
I’m originally from South Florida where my childhood curiosity for springs, wetlands, and pine forests helped guide me to a career as a groundwater ecohydrologist! I hold a B.S. in Geology from the University of South Florida where I was introduced to hydrology through courses in physical hydrology, hydrogeology, karst hydrogeology, groundwater modeling, stable isotope geochemistry, and guided undergraduate research.
As a PhD student in the Geological Engineering program here at UW Madison I’ve expanded my knowledge in the fields of biophysics, vadose zone processes, dendrochronology, and ecohydrology.
My current research interests include groundwater – surface water interactions caused by groundwater recharge and Great Lakes Water Levels, plant water use in agricultural and natural systems, biophysical observation & modeling including the remote sensing of evapotranspiration, karst hydrogeology and the impact of tropical storms, and the impact of guided summer undergraduate researches experiences on both the researcher and graduate student mentors.
Please explore the content below and reach out with any questions!
Current Research
Groundwater Flooding
The first part of my PhD focuses on groundwater flooding in seepage lakes contained in basins with no surface water outlets. This work used analysis of aerial photos and satellite imagery to document the extent of groundwater flooding. Numerical modeling was then completed determine the amount of recharge occurring under forested vs agricultural sites. This was then related to determine the influence of climate land-use change on groundwater flooding.
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Ridge and Swale Ecohydrology
The second part of my PhD work focuses on the impact of Great Lakes Water Levels on groundwater movement and storage in Ridge and Swale complexes along the coast of Lake Michigan. This work uses tree ring analysis to investigate historical growth variations caused by changing water levels.
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Mentoring
Interested in working with me?
I am passionate about mentoring undergraduate students who are eager to engage in research and art exploring intersections of hydrology, ecology, soil science, and other aspects of the world around us. As part of my mentoring efforts, I work closely with students through various prestigious fellowships and programs, providing guidance, support, and opportunities for growth in both scientific inquiry and creative expression. Some of the programs I mentor students in include:
- Freshwater@UW SROP
- Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Water@UW Flow Project (Art Focused)
- Sophomore Research Fellowship
- Holstrom Environmental Research Fellowships
Many of these undergraduate fellowships have deadlines in February of each year, so if you’re interested in applying and working with me on a project, I encourage you to reach out soon!
Presentations and Publications
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Presentations
- Trees and Groundwater: First Field Season at the Ridges Sanctuary. – UW Madison Limnology Seminar 2024 *Invited Lecture*
- Modeling Groundwater Flooding: A Precursor To Exploring Biomanipulation Practices. – WaterSciCon 2024
- What Causes Groundwater Flooding? – AGU Fall Meeting 2023
- Groundwater Flooding in the Fish Lake Basin. – Water @ UW Fall Symposium 2023
- Groundwater Flooding in South Central Wisconsin. – WI AWRA 2023
- Investigating the impact of extreme events on aquifer levels and river baseflows in the Suwannee River Basin, Florida. – AGU Fall Meeting 2021
- Analysis of Groundwater Levels in the Lafayette Blue Springshed. – USF OUR Meeting 2021
- GPS: Groundwater, People, and Salmon. – ESRI Storymap 2020
Publications
- Singha, K., Sullivan, P. L., Billings, S. A., Walls, L., Li, L., Jarecke, K. M., Barnard, H. R., Gasparini, N. M., Madoff, R. D., Dhital, S., Jones, C., Kastelic, E. C., Ma, L., Perilla-Castillo, P., Song, B., & Zhu, T. (2024). Expanding the Spatial Reach and Human Impacts of Critical Zone Science. Earth’s Future, 12(3), Article e2023EF003971. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003971
Additional Information
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Work Experience
- University of Wisconsin Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Graduate Research Assistant August 2022 – Present
- Hydroscience Teaching Assistant Fall 2023
- United States Army Corps of Engineers
- Physical Scientist May 2021 – October 2021
- University of South Florida School of Geosciences
- Hydrology Field Camp TA May 2020 – July 2020
- University of South Florida Stable Isotope Lab
- Laboratory Research Assistant March 2019 – May 2022
Service
- Freshwater@UW SROP
- Research Mentor & Program Assistant 2023-2025
- WaterSciCon Program Committee
- AGU Student Representative 2024
- AGU Hydrology Student Section Subcommittee
- Fall Meeting Committee Member 2023-2025
- USF Geology Alumni Society August
- Out of State Representative 2022-Present
- US-UK Fulbright Commission
- Summer Institute Application Reviewer 2022 & 2023
- UW Geology Club, UW Geological Engineering Club, & Freshwater@UW SROP
- Graduate Student Panelist 2022, 2023, 2024, & 2025
Honors and Awards
- Becker Travel Scholarship – UW Civil & Environmental Engineering 2023
- James Graaskamp Scholarship – UW McBurney Center 2023 & 2024
- Upchurch Scholarship – USF Geosciences 2022
- Achievement Award – USACE St. Paul District 2021
- Withlacoochee Rockhound Scholarship – USF Geosciences 2020
- Summer Institute Award Recipient – US-UK Fulbright Commission 2019
- Genshaft Global Presidential Scholarship – USF Honors College 2018
- Campground Named in Honor – Treasure Coast Wildlife Center 2018
- Eagle Scout – Boy Scouts of America 2017
- James E. West Fellow – Boy Scouts of America 2017
Memberships and Affiliations
- American Geophysical Union
- Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee (H3S) 2023 – 2025
- WaterSciCon Program Committee 2024
- North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Program
- University of South Florida Geology Alumni Society
- University of South Florida Order of the Golden Brahman