"One of our projects is developing an urban flash flood warning system. The work they're doing is very cutting edge and will be a real contribution to society."

UMBC: For those who are not familiar, explain what CUERE is.

CW: The name--the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education - says a lot about what the center is. CUERE was created in 2001 with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and it is one of about 20 research centers on campus. The Center serves as an umbrella for all environmental research activities on campus, and the Center's mission is very broad; it encompasses ecology, policy, engineering and science with a focus on urban environments. Our stated mission is "to advance the understanding of the environmental, social and economic consequences of the transformation of the urban landscape through research, conferences and symposia, support of University programs and assistance to K-12 education."

UMBC: Can you offer some examples of how that mission statement is applied to projects?

CW: One of the Center's first projects was a report called "The State of the Baltimore Region," which was essentially a report card on development in the environment in this region--the economy, the workforce, governance--to give a snapshot in time of how the region is doing where the environment is concerned. That was a policy-focused endeavor. Another policy project was to look at "blue" and "green" space in the greater Baltimore region--with blue space being waterfront and green being parks--to understand the effects of urban recreational spaces on people and how those spaces can be improved. There has also been a lot of work done looking at the definitions and effects of urban sprawl.

There's a lot going on here in terms of urban hydrology and ecology. For example, the problem with the urban landscape is that the water cycle becomes more complicated than what you learned in grade school and there are many opportunities for the system to short circuit. Some reasons for that include that you have a lot of impervious areas--sidewalks, roads, driveways ­ and areas where there are no trees. Also, storm water goes into large pipes to streams or storm water detention ponds, so there's a lot of artificial movement of water in urban areas. There's always a question of how urbanization affects the hydrologic cycle. We care about this because urbanization can cause flash flooding that can kill people. In order to understand how you can engineer something to control those floods, you need to understand what contributes to the rise of the water.

Storm water management is one of the largest urban water problems around, so the big programs we have here deal with urban hydrology. One of our projects is currently working to develop an urban flash flood warning system. While the concept of a flash flood warning system is not new, I don't know anyone doing this in an urban environment, and the work they're doing is very cutting edge and will be a real contribution to society.

UMBC: You work in partnership with some very esteemed local, national and international organizations. Who are some of the major players you work with?

CW: Our largest partner is the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, which is housed at UMBC, although the individuals who run the study are in New York at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies. We also work in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the field office of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study here on a daily basis, so that is very exciting. We collaborate with the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the City of Baltimore, the U.S. Geological Survey, and a number of universities including the University of Maryland and its schools of Medicine and Nursing, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University and Drexel University.

We have an active research agenda, and our website has much more information about our work. We also have an ongoing seminar series .

UMBC: What makes CUERE unique among academic environmental research centers?

CW: We are devoted to studying the urban environment. We have a strong multidisciplinary approach with components that encompass engineering, hydrology, geochemistry, land use and public policy.

UMBC: What makes the study of urban environmental issues so important?

CW: Approximately 80 percent of the world's population lives in cities, so we're looking at where people live. If you want to sustain these population centers so there's enough water to drink and clean air to breathe, then somebody better be worried about the urban environment! In addition, we're located on the fringe of a city so it makes sense for us to be concerned with environmental issues related to our proximity. There are also a number of entities around the state that study many other environmental issues, so when you are in a large academic institution, you do not want to replicate what has already been covered. We feel we can fill the void of urban environmental study and do it well because of the talent here.

UMBC: CUERE is still in its infancy and you are just getting started as director. What are your goals for the future?

CW: I want us to become regionally known, which we've just about achieved, then nationally and internationally. It will take us a while to get there, especially as we are building our fundraising base, but Maryland is a very exciting place to be involved in a project like this because the state is so environmentally progressive because of the Chesapeake Bay. People here are so collegial, so interested in collaborating. It is all for one and one for all, which is really neat.

UMBC: Outside your dedication to environmental study and engineering, you have some very interesting personal interests. A quick study of the personal links at your webpage shows you have an interest in subjects as broad as Berlin and the ballet. Tell us about what you do outside of CUERE.

CW: I'm interested in all things German and Berlin in particular because my husband lives in Berlin and I therefore spend quite a bit of time there. As far as ballet is concerned, I've been a semi-professional performer, and I've trained for almost 35 years. I even founded a small ballet company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now I do it to stay in shape. Some people take an aerobics class, I take a ballet class.

I also enjoy the visual arts and being around artists, but I'm really into old houses. I live in an historic district in Philadelphia in a house that was built in 1832 and I am involved in old house appreciation and preservation. I still commute to UMBC from Philadelphia, but I'm looking for a place here, but it can't just be any old place. My other main hobby is gardening. I've created a whole green space in my backyard in Philadelphia and I simply enjoy sticking my hands in soil.