One of the biggest challenges faced here on Earth – how to manage water resources for an ever-growing global population – may soon be solved more than 20,000 miles above our heads.

Hyongki Lee, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Cullen College, is making quite a splash. Lee has accomplished so much in the field of water you could say he’s all over the map, but soon his work will be high above the map. He’s helped Pakistani officials manage water resources and was selected by NASA to do the same in Indochina.

Joseph W. Tedesco, Elizabeth D. Rockwell dean of the Cullen College, recognized faculty, staff and students for their outstanding performance in teaching, research and service at the spring faculty and staff meeting held on May 3.

Tropical wetlands are one of the most important sources of methane and carbon emissions, which means these land areas play a key role in climate change. Hydrology and hydrodynamics in the tropical wetlands are controlling factors of plant and animal ecosystems, sediment delivery, nutrient exchange and global climate change.

Hyongki Lee, assistant professor in the Cullen College’s department of civil and environmental engineering, has won NASA’s New (Early Career) Investigator Award in Earth Science.

Continuing its commitment to education at the University of Houston, ConocoPhillips is donating $1 million to UH’s growing Energy Research Park (ERP) and $125,000 to various engineering, science and business programs.