Elia Tapia is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Arid Lands Resource Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Geology at the University of Sonora (UNISON). While attending UNISON, she had the opportunity to participate in the Exchanging Cities Water and Infrastructure Program (ExCit) which awarded her a one-year exchange scholarship at Michigan Technological University. In Michigan, she worked as a research assistant at the Natural Hazards Mitigation in Pacific Latin America Program, and was able to travel to Guatemala to determine sulfur dioxide emissions from Pacaya and Santiaguito volcanoes by using a groundbased ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer (FLYSPEC).
She went on to complete a Master of Science Degree in Geology and Hydrology, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Her background in geological sciences and hydrology led her to develop a thesis project entitled “Climate Change Scenarios for the Rio Yaqui Basin and Their Impact on the Valle del Yaqui Aquifer, in Sonora, Mexico.”
As a researcher in the Geology Department at UNISON, she worked on several projects from the National Water Commission in Mexico (CONAGUA). Among the most beneficial learning experiences for her career were: “The National Program for Drought Prevention;” “Water Resources Availability Assessment” for over 55 aquifers in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua; and “Artificial Recharge Studies” for three over exploited aquifers in Sonora, Mexico. She also worked as an adjunct professor for the same institution, teaching Geologic Data Analysis, Earth Systems, and Natural Hazards classes.
In 2012, Elia started working in the binational Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) for Santa Cruz and San Pedro aquifers as part of the Mexican research team group. Her work involved binational meetings held with US representatives and contributing research organizations to establish the basis of a unified report that would cover information from both sides of the border. While working in the TAAP project, she had the opportunity to learn about the research work that is being undertaken at the University of Arizona, especially within the Arid Lands Resource Sciences program (ALRS) and the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC).
Elia decided to continue her research work through the ALRS program, emphasizing projects related to groundwater assessment that could lead to improved decision-making to mitigate water scarcity. She is particularly interested in groundwater assessment and management strategies in transboundary settings, and research using remote sensing and GIS tools along with effective stakeholder engagement methodologies.
As a University of Arizona student and a Graduate Assistant at the WRRC, Elia has been building upon the efforts of the TAAP project, but this time as part of the American research group and with the guidance of Dr. Sharon B. Megdal, Director of the WRRC. This year, Elia joined the Water RAPIDS team at the WRRC and started working with the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC), an international, publicprivate partnership that collectively influences landscape conservation in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, both in the United States and Mexico.
Elia and her husband have traveled through different countries around the world, and with their baby daughter Emma, they manage to balance their studies, careers and family life.