The Alabama Water Institute recently welcomed student intern Cody Taylor as an undergraduate research assistant.
Taylor, a sophomore at The University of Alabama, joined AWI in August 2022. He is on the STEM path to an MBA, majoring in math with a minor in the Randall Research Scholars program. He is an assistant to Amy Hammett, AWI’s director of regional and national collaborations. Taylor works to conduct background research and critical analysis for current and future energy projects.
Taylor has always been interested in waterways and energy, as well as the application of water intelligence to power. Prior to college, Taylor volunteered for SOLVE, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental stewardship in the state of Oregon. He also attended an engineering camp where he was able to observe the inner workings of the Rocky Reach Dam, a hydroelectric dam located in Washington.
Taylor became involved in AWI after reading a research project description posted by Hammett. Through his research for AWI, he has found that there is a substantial overlap between water and energy, and the connection to agriculture, health, power and infrastructure.
“It’s been really enlightening to explore how water intelligence seeps its way into every sector,” Taylor said.
Taylor anticipates continuing research efforts throughout his career and hopes to continue working for AWI on future projects.
“I’m excited to find my next project,” he said. “The last semester has given me a great tool belt to tackle future work.”
Taylor is proud of the growth he has witnessed within AWI.
“I look forward to new minds bringing new perspectives to current projects,” Taylor said. “Not only is it helpful for finishing projects faster, but it’s great for scoping out new projects that will be important to the United States in the future.”