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Few issues are as contentious in the American West than disputes over water. Jordan Jimmie is pursuing a Ph.D. in , along with a master’s in , so he can help protect the water rights claims of Indigenous communities.

A member of the Navajo Nation, Jimmie grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona, and on visits to the nearby Navajo Reservation, he saw firsthand the impacts of often-limited access to clean water. That experience led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental hydrology and water resources at the University of Arizona and a master’s in forestry from the University of Montana, where he focused on tribal water policy.

Jimmie is continuing his education in the �Ը��� to fulfill his longtime goal of earning a Ph.D. and an engineering degree. He also wants to build a strong set of credentials, especially in the context of advocating on behalf of a tribe, he says. “Knowing what the water laws and policies are and the science behind them will hugely benefit tribes in the future.”

Jimmie’s Ph.D. will focus on hydrologic modeling as a tool for balancing groundwater resources and irrigated agricultural use. His goal is to develop models for both surface and groundwater systems, creating a reusable engineering framework that can help tribal nations manage aquifer recharge projects — with the dual goal of improved ecological function and sustainable agriculture. Jimmie believes modeling hydrologic systems and presenting findings in a way that’s readily understood will help policymakers and tribal leaders make better informed decisions about how water resources are managed on tribal lands.

Jimmie is establishing another model as well: a mentor for future Indigenous water experts. He’d eventually like to teach in — or start — a hydrology program, preferably at a tribal college or university. Knowledge, like water, will continue to flow.