Ultimately, the center will also involve students and faculty from engineering, biology, the social sciences and other disciplines. Millions of Pennsylvanians are likely to benefit in ways that will measurably improve the quality of life in our Commonwealth. The Heinz grant will provide funds for set-up costs, recruitment of students and faculty, and initial programs for the center. As population grows, management of water resources will be a key to our continued well being. Korostoff and Penn State forestry professor David DeWalle wrote the proposal for the new center.
Watersheds are lands drained by a common surface water body.
The form and vitality of a watershed is an expression of its climate, geology, soils, flora and fauna. Watersheds unite urban, rural and natural landscapes into functional units whose life is sustained by the interconnecting waters. Korostoff and DeWalle term watershed stewardship the critical water management challenge for the next century. The new center will meet that need by educating graduates and professionals in watershed management through practical outreach projects involving intercollegiate cooperation. Graduates will leave the program equipped to communicate with the public while appreciating the social and economic implications of their decisions.