Associate professor and computational hydrologist Ming Ye is a 2014 recipient of the university’s Developing Scholar Award, an honor bestowed on mid-career, associate professor level faculty to support their research programs. Ye was selected as a Developing Scholar by the university’s Council on Research & Creativity, the Vice President for Research, and the President. The Developing Scholar Award is based on evidence of a clearly established program of research and creativity lasting over a number of years – a record of superior research and creativity that has garnered external recognition. The award was created to identify FSU’s future academic leaders at an early mid-point in their careers and to promote faculty research and creativity during the academic year following the award. Ye was nominated by SC Professor Michael Navon, with enthusiastic endorsements from SC Chair Max Gunzburger, Arts and Sciences Dean Sam Huckaba, and wholehearted support from external collaborators and scholars.

The basis of Ye’s nomination and subsequent award stem from an extensive career of innovative and cited research in top-level, peer reviewed journals; prestigious external awards such as the Department of Energy Early Career Award; myriad, significant grants as the sole principal investigator; accomplished student mentoring and course development activities; and collaborative relationships that span the globe. Ye has ongoing research on nitrogen contamination in St. Lucie, Indian River and Martin counties. There’s also a major project with the Department of Energy to study how to quantify predictive uncertainty in groundwater reactive transport modeling using computationally efficient methods. Right now, one primary focus of his research is the study of sinkholes, one of Florida’s critical environmental issues.

Recipients of the Developing Scholar Award receive a one-time award of $10,000 to be used in their research program. With these additional funds, Ye intends to continue experimental study of sinkhole development and collapse. “I want to use the money for student support on the project, and to travel to Europe and China to collaborate with colleagues. China, especially, has some of the same issues we have here with the environment, and to be able to continue to work with them on these issues is critically important and mutually beneficial.”

Click here to see video footage of the Ye lab conducting a sinkhole experiment.

Related Story: SC's Developing Scholar, Ming Ye.