Urban Water Institute announces director

November 10, 2011

By Communications and Marketing

The Urban Water Institute at Kansas State University Olathe has named Alok Bhandari the founding director.

Bhandari is a department head and professor of civil engineering. As director he will lead the institute in its focus on connecting more than 30 K-State water-related experts from four colleges with water-related companies and service industry in the Kansas City metro area. The institute also will identify and create technologies that address issues related to water usage in urban areas.

Bhandari is joined by a faculty advisory committee with representatives from each of the four colleges:

Melinda Daniels, associate professor of geography, College of Arts and Sciences; Daniel Devlin, director of KCARE, College of Agriculture; John Harrington, professor of geography, College of Arts and Sciences; Stacy Hutchinson, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, College of Engineering; John Leatherman, professor of agricultural economics, College of Agriculture; and Lee Skabelund, associate professor of landscape architecture/regional and community planning, College of Architecture, Planning and Design.