David Rosa is a double alum of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and completed his Ph.D. under Dr. Jack Clausen with a focus on watershed hydrology and nonpoint pollution. Rosa has a B.S. from the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Currently, Rosa works at the Watershed Management Division of the Vermont  Department of Environmental Conservation. “I am motivated by a belief that protecting our water resources is one of the most critical issues we face,” said Rosa.

“During undergrad I didn’t really know what I wanted to focus on, so I took a bunch of different classes, including economics, handball, and welding,” said Rosa. He spent a summer on a blueberry farm and spent a semester abroad in Australia. Through exploring his interests in undergraduate studies, he realized that he tries to recognize and take the opportunities that are offered to him.

His experience at UConn was very rewarding. During six years of graduate school, he had a mentor, Jack Clausen, and got over a fear of public speaking and met his wife fellow NRE Ph.D. graduate, Lindsay Dreiss Rosa.  Rosa says, “So all in all, it was time well spent.”

David currently is working on manuscripts from his Ph.D. research focused on assessing riparian buffer impacts to stream water across spatial scales. Presently, he is the regional floodplain manager for western Vermont and spends a lot of my time providing technical assistance, outreach, and education to municipalities, helping them manage development in their floodplains and river corridors.  David believes that there is a lot at stake ecologically, socially, and economically over issues of water quality and quantity.  He is always looking to learn more and develop new skills so that he can play some part in addressing crucial issues. David is actively working to incorporate his research into his current job with the State of Vermont and will be presenting a brown bag seminar on his research to State employees in the coming months.