Big Ideas TXST goes inside the fascinating minds forging innovation, research and creativity at Texas State University and beyond. Hosted by Daniel Seed, episodes showcase the thought leaders, breakthroughs and creative expression making the world a better place, one BIG idea at a time. Produced by University Communications at Texas State.
Episode 53: Using AI for cleaner beaches with Jenna Walker
Jenna Walker
Texas State University’s Jenna Walker, director of Watershed Services with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor and predict the water quality along Texas’ 367 miles of coastline.
A 2022 study found that 55 out of 61 beaches tested along the Texas Gulf coast exceeded safe levels of fecal bacteria on at least one testing day. Enter The Meadows Center. Using its existing network of citizen scientists in the volunteer Texas Stream Team program, the center is regularly collecting water samples from locations along the coast and using innovative AI technology to analyze the data and predict bacteria levels and trends. Ultimately this is expected to make real-time information available to the public.
Walker oversees several multi-year, grant-funded research initiatives, including the Texas General Land Office-sponsored Clean Coast Texas initiative, a Texas Hill Country groundwater/surface water interaction research series, the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan, and the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality-sponsored Texas Stream Team – an award-winning, statewide community science program designed to educate and empower the public to support watershed protection efforts and foster community-based partnerships.
Big Ideas TXST is part of the TXST Podcast Network.
Big Ideas TXST episode 53 transcript
(TXT, 23.6KB)
About the Show
About the Host
Daniel Seed is a lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, specializing in electronic media. Prior to coming to Texas State, he worked as a news reporter and anchor, sports director and sports anchor during a career that began at WHDH-TV in Boston and continued at stations in Oklahoma and Texas. He is three-time winner of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Outstanding Achievement in Broadcasting Award for best sportscast (non-metro category) and a winner of the OAB’s Outstanding Achievement in Broadcasting Awards for Spot News and General News.
Share this article
For more information, contact University Communications:Jayme Blaschke, 512-245-2555 Sandy Pantlik, 512-245-2922 |