REPORTER: How did Trinity shape your career interests?
RIX: My passion for systems came from being a student of Renny Fulco, who currently directs the Public Policy and Law Program, and Michael Neimann, who taught international politics and international relations at Trinity for many years. Professor Fulco nurtured my understanding of political affairs and how power is exercised, while Neimann communicated a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of how global systems are developed. My experiences in those courses were enhanced through Trinity’s urban setting. In Hartford, issues related to poverty such as access to health care, grocery stores, and other resources are evident. I studied abroad in London where I interned in the oil and gas sector; this exposed me to how the energy sector uses and often abuses a country’s water resources. Even though I hadn’t zeroed in on water while I was at Trinity, I developed a general interest in how communities are shaped by resource poverty. If I had gone to college in a rural location, maybe none of this would have come to the surface for me.

REPORTER: What is the most rewarding part of your work?
RIX: The most rewarding aspect of my job is the hope that I have been able to give clients. For example, about five years ago I was working in the country of Namibia. The country was running out of potable water, and local engineers had an idea to run a pipeline through the Okavango Delta, which is a unique ecosystem in southern Africa. The people of Namibia were furious that they would have to in essence drain this one-of-a-kind place of water, but they did not think that there were any other options available to them. Watermark was brought in to assess the water conditions in Namibia, and by overlaying our Hydro Perspective we came up with a solution that was not previously considered: aquifer storage and recovery. This involves capturing “used” water, purifying it, and injecting it underground in a water bank to minimize evaporation. This solution facilitated a dialogue between the people and government agencies in a way that the local stakeholders thought could no longer happen. By holistically assessing water resources and catalyzing innovation to meet water demands, we can decrease water scarcity and pollution, while increasing food production and energy security worldwide.

< 2