USU College of Engineering Professor Receives Early Career Award for Applied Research

The University Council on Water Resources has awarded Utah Water Research Laboratory assistant professor Belize Lane the 2022 Early Career Award for Applied Water Research.

Lane, who is also a faculty member in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, focuses her research on arid, water-limited regions of the Western United States. She was nominated for the award by several of her colleagues in California who have worked with her since the time she was earning her Ph.D.

“I'm incredibly honored and appreciative and just grateful to feel that the work I'm doing is meaningful and making a difference and addressing problems in a way that people see as important,” Lane said.

The nominating letters from Lane’s colleagues highlighted her research efforts, communication skills, and the effort she has put into supporting students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds, among other things.

Lane’s ability to effectively communicate across disciplines and with stakeholders of various backgrounds is something she sees as setting her apart in receiving this award.

“The ability to speak the different languages and translate between different science and management communities is critical in environmental water management because it is by its nature very multi-disciplinary and requires large teams to solve the large, complicated problems we face,” she said. “While I'm definitely a researcher, I am developing project management skills and the ability to bridge and incorporate the needs and interests of diverse stakeholders, which is really important in this field.”