Hayden Rudd, a doctoral student studying forestry and environmental resources at the NC State College of Natural Resources, has been named a finalist for the 2025 class of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. She is one of 88 finalists selected from institutions across the country.
The Knauss Fellowship Program, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience by matching graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government to work on policy and management issues that affect ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources.
Rudd will spend a year, from February 2025 through January 2026, as a legislative fellow, using her scientific and research expertise to help a member of Congress or a Congressional Committee to draft legislation that addresses coastal and marine issues.
“The Knauss Fellowship will enable me to use my training in chemistry, hydrology and resource management to help address coastal policy challenges while gaining firsthand knowledge of the relationship between science and national policy development,” Rudd said.
She added, “This opportunity will advance my understanding of how scientific research can best serve the needs of environmental policy makers, which will enhance my ability to contribute to research that actively supports sustainable water management and coastal community health.”
Rudd’s research interests include coastal hydrology, extreme weather, water resource management, climate change adaptation and groundwater quality. Her dissertation is focused on using advanced analytical chemistry techniques to examine emerging organic contaminants (CECs) in North Carolina groundwater to support local groundwater management and private well user health.
Because private well users are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, they are responsible for testing and treating their own drinking water. This leaves well users particularly vulnerable to water contamination, but researchers lack knowledge of private well user exposure to organic CECs.
The first phase of Rudd’s research aimed to address this knowledge gap. Rudd screened water samples from 25 private wells in Wake County, North Carolina. She found a total of 106 different organic CECs — ranging from industrial solvents and personal care products to pharmaceuticals and plastics. She recently reported the findings to private well users and local groundwater managers.
“My research has revealed the vulnerability of Wake County private well users to a variety of organic CECs and has demonstrated how complex chemical exposure results can be reported back to private well users and groundwater managers successfully,” Rudd said.
During the first phase of her dissertation research, Rudd also conducted interviews with private well users to gain insight to their opinions, behaviors and concerns. Her interviews revealed a widespread interest in the ability of water filters to remove CECs. She is currently evaluating the ability of low-cost faucet filters as part of the second phase of her dissertation.
Rudd is expected to complete her dissertation and graduate from NC State in December 2024. Once she completes the Knauss Fellowship, Rudd plans to pursue a career as a scientific researcher at the federal level to help advance the management of coastal water systems and support the communities that rely on those resources.
This post was originally published in College of Natural Resources News.
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