WRRC Welcomes New and Returning Grad Students

Image

Caroleine James, our 2026 Summer Outreach Intern, is returning in a new role as a Graduate Research Assistant. She will assist with various research and communications activities, including writing for the Weekly Wave. 

Image

Rostam Cole is one of the WRRC’s new Coverdell Fellows/Graduate Outreach Assistants. The U of A Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program assists returning Peace Corps volunteers in pursuing graduate degrees by providing assistantships with organizations that facilitate intercultural exchange. Rostam’s Peace Corps service was in the Republic of Georgia, where he taught English alongside local counterparts and facilitated community-led personal and professional development opportunities. He also served as the social media content producer and creator for Peace Corps Georgia. He is pursuing both an MA in Latin American Studies at the School of Global Studies and an MPA at the School of Government and Policy. At the WRRC, Rostam will assist with outreach, research, and communications, including aiding the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP).

Image

Lizeth Lopez is a PhD student in Arid Lands Resource Sciences at the University of Arizona. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Geology from the Universidad de Sonora. Her research focuses on groundwater resources, transboundary aquifers, and geospatial analysis. She has contributed to binational groundwater initiatives through TAAP, including work on the Santa Cruz transboundary aquifer and other aquifers along the Arizona–Sonora border. Lizeth has also contributed to international initiatives in Mexico and Latin America, including the Design of the Transboundary Regional Action Plan in the Amazon Basin. During her time at the WRRC, Lizeth will serve as a Graduate Research Associate, assisting with research and supporting outreach efforts for TAAP.

Image

Marjorie Robinson joins the WRRC as a Coverdell Fellow/Graduate Outreach Assistant. Marjorie previously worked in private environmental consulting on projects including erosion and sediment control design, environmental permitting, and groundwater and soil remediation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. From 2024 to 2026, Marjorie also served in Peace Corps Guatemala supporting local agronomists within the Ministry of Agriculture with their rural extension work in the department of Totonicapán. At her site, she worked closely with Indigenous entrepreneurial women’s groups to help cultivate their knowledge of useful agricultural, nutritional, and health practices. She also collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to support local education on various topics including wastewater treatment and forest fire management. Marjorie is pursuing a master’s degree in the Water, Society, and Policy program to deepen her understanding of how current water policy practices impact underserved communities and hopes to be a part of creating equitable and lasting change to water resource access and education for these communities. On her downtime Marjorie enjoys playing tennis, dancing, and reading.