Her primary area of specialization is watershed hydrology, and her recent focus has been on engineered prairie landscapes where natural hydrological processes are significantly altered by surface drains, tile drains, storage ponds, farm dams, and wetland loss. Her other areas of specialization include ecohydrology, hydrobiogeochemistry and hydropedology as she studies water and nutrient sources and pathways from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. Her research on water and material connectivity is especially important for guiding science-based policy making and for improving the prediction of floods, droughts and water pollution.