Tiffany L. Messer, PhD (Principle Investigator)

Dr. Tiffany Messer is an associate professor and Gatton Foundation Endowed Chair in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. She grew up on a farm east of Winchester, Kentucky, where her love for water resources was sparked. She  joined the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Kentucky in October 2020. She holds degrees in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (University of Kentucky, B.S., 2008) and Biological and Agricultural Engineering (North Carolina State University, M.S. 2010, PhD, 2015). Additionally, Tiffany completed a postdoctoral appointment in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University (2015-2016) to focus on ecological designs and analytical chemistry. 

Her research interests reside at the intersection of engineering, ecology, and agriculture with an emphasis on environmental biogeochemistry and water resources in human impacted ecosystems. She works specifically on identifying, tracing, and treating nutrients and emerging contaminants using ecological engineered designs (i.e., wetlands, streams, stormwater control measures). Along with being awarded over $18 million as a project investigator (PI) or co-PI in grant funding, she has been awarded the Gatton Foundation Endowed Chairship (2024-2029), NSF CAREER Award (2021), USDA AFRI NIFA Postdoctoral fellowship (2016), and the EPA STAR (2012-2015) fellowship. These grants have  allowed her to form an incredible team including graduate and undergraduate engineering and natural resource researchers that embrace inclusivity, diversity, and community, while studying designs to improve water quality in Kentucky, the southeast, midwest and beyond. Additionally, she is an active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the American Ecological Engineering Society (AEES).

She loves teaching and has taught GIS for Water Resources (junior-graduate level), Engineering Computer program (freshman level), Constructed Wetlands  (junior-graduate level), Soil and Water Engineering (junior-senior level), and Engineering Technical Writing (graduate level) courses. Most importantly she enjoys hearing about student experiences, connecting students with employers, and guiding students to reach their career dreams.

In her free time, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family, which include her husband (Patrick), sons (Elliott (11) and Raymond (8)), and dogs Oliver (13) and Phoebe (2). She also enjoys hiking, art projects, traveling, and visiting the family farm.