Home Department:
Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Mentor / Lab:
Dr. Laura Bowling

Specific Research Area / Project:
Urban stormwater management

Undergraduate Institution:
Bachelor’s Degree University of St. Thomas, MN

Research Profile:

I am in my third year at Purdue and the first year of my PhD. In my master’s, I developed a comprehensive water quality and water balance case study for a local extensive green roof at Purdue University. This study additionally incorporated a simulated model of the energy use for the building section located under the green roof in a with-without analysis. The work culminated with a simple cost-benefit analysis scenario over the projected lifetime of the green roof based on energy savings, stormwater cost reductions and other metrics.

As part of a continuation of my master’s research, I am investigating the limits of detectable change in discharge for an urban watershed in Lafayette, IN. I plan to combine this with the use and impact of installing best-management practices within the urban watershed. I am interested in learning how hydrologic best practices can be incorporate with BMP placement and urban planning based on adoption barriers such as community acceptance, property rights and other contributors to placement availability.

About Me:

While my experience at Purdue has been challenging at times, my time in the ESE program has been nothing but positive. My advisor, Dr. Lee and ESE peers truly make me feel supported and valued as a researcher and as a contributing individual to the program. I am fortunate enough to share an office with 5 other ESE students at various stages of their master’s and doctoral studies. In this office, we have weekly and oftentimes daily discussions on things from how to prepare for prelims or a defense or insights on courses to ideas for research methods and proposals. We talk about personal struggles and successes and generally provide a very inclusive environment where anyone can talk freely. This is one of the biggest aspects I appreciate about the program and its members. Asking questions is always okay and there are always people to help you along the way so despite the fact that everyone has their own research, goals and advisors, you never have to navigate the graduate school process alone because we all want to see each other succeed.

Awards:

• Midwest Crossroads Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) scholar, admitted spring 2013
• The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S®) Scholar
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
• 2012 Indiana Association of Environmental Professionals Graduate Student Award
• Certificate of appreciation for the MLK Jr. Commemorative Planning Committee

Publications:

• Hoover, F., Bowling, L. Water Quality Evaluation for an Extensive Green Roof System. Int. Perspectives Water Resources & Envirn Proceedings, Izmir, Turkey, 2013. (accepted)
• F. Hoover and J. Abraham, A review: Comprehensive comparison of corn-based and cellulosic-based ethanol as biofuel sources, Clean Technology Conference and Expo 2009, Houston, TX, May 3-7, 2009.
• F. Hoover and J. Abraham. Assessment of the Carbon Dioxide and Energy Balances of Biofuels, Climate Change Technology Conference 2009, Hamilton, Ontario, May 12-15, 2009.
• F-A Hoover, J. Abraham, A Comparison of Corn-Based Ethanol with Cellulosic Ethanol as Replacements for Petroleum-Based Fuels: A Review, Int. J. Sustainable Energy, Vol. 28 (4), pp. 171-182, 2009.

Presentations:

• Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM, 2014, presenter
• American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2013, poster
• International Perspectives on Water Resources and the Environment 2013, presenter
• Capturing Resilience: The Bridge from Recovery to Prosperity 2013 ESE Symposium, poster
• Purdue Student Sustainability Summit 2013, poster
• Purdue Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs, 2013 Spring Reception, poster
• Urban Rise: Footprints of a Global Civilization 2012 ESE Symposium, poster
• Climate Change Technology Conference 2009, presenter
• Clean Technology Conference and Expo 2009, poster

Leadership:

• Recruitment co-chair, Agricultural & Biological Engr. Graduate Student Association, 2013-current
• ember-Purdue Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Club, 2012-current
• reasurer-Purdue Graduate Student Government, 2012-2013
• undraising Chair-Ecological Sciences and Engineering Program’s Annual Symposium, 2012
• SE Annual Keystone Series Planning Committee, 2012, 2011
• inorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science Initiative Program (MSPHD’S), 2011, Cohort 8
• merican Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Attendee, 2011
• enator-Purdue Graduate Student Government, 2011-2012
• raduate coordinator-Women in Engineering Program’s Innovation to Reality After School Engineering Program, Purdue University, 2011-2012
• urdue University Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee, 2011-2013
• ompact for Diversity in Teaching and Mentoring Meeting, 2012