The civil and environmental engineering faculty member recently received her second $500K award from the Environmental Protection Agency.
/filters:quality(90)/prod01/production-cdn-pxl/media/umassdartmouth/news/2024/231012-NEFELI-BOMPOTI-02-1-1200X800.jpg?text=945+WebP)
Assistant Professor Nefeli Bompoti joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UMass Dartmouth in the fall of 2023. Since then, she has obtained two $500K grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) totaling $1 million.
EPA PREPARED grant
Bompoti was recently awarded $500K in funding from the EPA's Promoting Readiness and Enhancing Proficiency to Advance Reporting and Data (PREPARED) program. PREPARED intends to help support and enhance the data, reporting, and evidence-building capacity of EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and/or Tribal communities.
The "EPA PREPARED: Building evidence-based tools to integrate community experiences" project aims to use proven methods to help communities share their stories and experiences. Together with Massachusetts-based organization The Dream Network, Bompoti's research group will create resources that help communities get ready to apply for grants, manage and understand data, and share their program results.
"Our goal is to accomplish a better integration between science and practice and build capacity in underserved communities within the region," Bompoti explains. "This research is important as it focuses on building robust environmental programs and informing environmental policy. The project will fully support a graduate student for 3 years."
Minimizing Displacement Resulting from Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Reuse
This latest award comes just 6 months after another $500K grant from the EPA for a project titled, "Minimizing Displacement Resulting from Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Reuse." A brownfield refers to land that is abandoned or underused due to industrial contamination. Brownfields revitalization projects aim to safely clean up contaminated properties so they can be brought back to life for productive use.
This kind of redevelopment can improve environmental quality and public health and bolster local economies. However, they can also result in gentrification and involuntary displacement of existing residents. Bompoti's research investigates the outcomes of redevelopment efforts and strategies for redevelopment that prioritize equity and social justice as well as sustainability.