SatRAP Spotlights

Learn more about the people behind the research

Each month, we'll introduce the people behind the project, sharing their research, experiences, and contributions to the team.

From fieldwork and technology development to education, outreach, and mentorship, these stories offer a closer look at how SatRAP is making an impact across the region and helping shape the future of water management.

 

Samuel Baumer

I have an undergraduate degree in Family and Social Services from College of the Ozarks and a master's degree in Sociology from Kansas State University. I am starting my second year of my PhD in Sociology at Kansas State University working under Matthew Sanderson on the SatRAP grant. My research interests generally include agriculture, rural communities, and human-environmental relationships.

My prior research focused on how farmers' faiths and religious values influenced their farming practices in the Great Plains. My current research is focused on understanding perceptions of Ogallala aquifer depletion in the southern High Plains among agricultural producers, a project which included 37 producer interviews from the panhandle of Texas, the panhandle of Oklahoma, and Western Kansas.

The SatRAP grant has provided the resources necessary to complete a large qualitative research project as part of my dissertation. It has subsequently supported my travel to regional water conferences and national academic conferences to share my findings with the public and the academy. Additionally, through the Mentorship Program of the grant, I have received tailored guidance and direction from my major professor about things I have not learned in the classroom like how to network at an academic conference.