Program for Resource Efficient Communities

Staff, Faculty & Students


		Hal Knowles MS \| Interdisciplinary Ecology Email Hal earned his MS degree in August 2004 from UF’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. Under the advisement of Dr. Mark Hostetler, Hal’s master’s work involved the creation of a 4-hour continuing education course for built environment professionals entitled, Preserving Wildlife Habitat in Residential Developments. Hal also has a BS in Building Construction with a Concentration in Sustainable Development from the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction at the University of Florida, December 1997. Hal is a certified USGBC LEED 2.0 Accredited Professional with experience as a commercial and residential construction project engineer, business development manager, and researcher for multiple academic groups. He has worked with diverse stakeholders and clientele including local community groups, the National Endowment for the Arts New Public Works Program, the City of Gainesville, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Imagineering, and various residential developers and commercial retailers. At the University of Florida Program for Resource Efficient Communities, Hal currently promotes the adoption of best green design and operation practices in new residential community development, creates extension education materials, and fosters public/private partnerships that pursue sustainability in Florida's built environment. He recently finished a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the Florida Green Building Coalition where he also served as Treasurer. Hal is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

		Eban Bean Dept. of Agricultural & Biological Engineering Email Project Title: Soil Amendments for Increased Infiltration and Water Quality Improvement Specialization: Low-Impact Development Advisor: Dr. Michael Dukes Eban choose a project that addresses a growing problem in Florida. As more and more land changes from commercial or undeveloped to residential it has increased water runoff and reduced water quality. The result is often soil compaction, which further increases runoff. "In agricultural settings, incorporation of soil amendments has been shown to improve infiltration while not leaching pollutants into the groundwater," explains Eban. A common practice for reducing runoff from developments is a retention pond or infiltration basin. By law, these structures must infiltrate their stored water within 72 hours, however it is unclear whether this is maintained for the life of the structure. This study will also include monitoring and testing retention pond infiltration times and soil properties. Sedimentation and compaction can greatly decrease infiltration rates. Amending these soils in retention ponds could improve infiltration and bring them into compliance. "The most interesting part of this project is the sustainability side," said Eban. "The two soil amendments are compost and fly ash. Compost is typically produced from a waste product, while fly ash is a byproduct of coal burning power plants. Fly ash would typically be land filled, as would the compost parent material. This study would find a use for these wastes, while also improving water quality." Eban explains that developers may be able to use these soil amendments to mitigate compaction during the construction process of commercial and residential areas. Additionally, the monitoring of retention pond performance could lead to revisions of regulations to ensure compliance with future structures. Soil amendments may be a method for improving retention pond performance. "Its satisfying for me that I get to work on a project that can not only improve water quality of our lakes and streams, but also ground water from where our supply comes, which makes me feel that I am contributing to everyone," he notes.

		Kiara Winans - B.A. - Fine Arts, University of Florida, 1999 - M.A. - Social Ecology, Antioch University, 2004 Kiara is currently working on her M.S. in Ecological Engineering. Kiara's research involves emergy synthesis of scarce resources(i.e. soil fertility) and afforestry parkland systems in the Sahel region of West Africa. Kiara enjoys bicycling, violin, martial arts, aviation, boating, and appropriate technology.

		Sylvia Lang Email Sylvia Lang is studying the effects of urbanization on stormwater hydrology and water quality for a PhD in Hydrology from the University of Florida Department of Soil and Water Science. She received her MS degree in Watershed Science from Colorado State University in 2000, where she studied the effects of logging on erosion in a wet tropical forest in Costa Rica. Sylvia loves the outdoors and hands-on education programs. In her spare time Sylvia works at PREC developing educational materials on LID techniques for better stormwater management in master planned urban developments for the upcoming workshop, Resource Efficient Community Development: A Practicum for Local Public Officials and Staff.