Christian Guzman is an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and research focus is on Translational Technology.
IALS: Hi Christian, thank you for speaking with us today. We have a few questions for you so everyone on campus can get to know you better. How long have you been at UMass Amherst?
CG: Since 2019.
IALS: Where did you grow up?
CG: I grew up in Kissimmee, FL
IALS: Does the love of science run in your family?
CG: Love of mathematics runs in my family! My father worked in construction and my mother works in early childhood education now and they instilled a joy and appreciation for math in my siblings at a very young age.
IALS: How long have you been teaching?
CG: Since 2019.
IALS: What is more stressful, grant proposals, research, or teaching?
CG: All of the above are stressful in a good way 🙂 In trying to emulate the faculty advisors and mentors I looked up to, there is an impetus to strive to do as well as they did. Or to perform these task with as much skill so as to make the impact on mentees in the ways that can positively affect their careers. I am partial to research as being my favorite activity to engage in with mentees. My research career started by an undergraduate research opportunity studying infiltration basins in Florida, and while the topic was intriguing, the most exciting thing about it was being able to collaborate with an extremely kind and extremely intelligent supervisor. This type of environment is what I aim to create in my lab as we investigate soil and water resources.
IALS: Assuming your research is widely successful, how will it impact society?
CG: Wider appreciation for and dedication to the provision of clean water for all members of society. We investigate the flow paths that water molecules traverse from a rain or snow event until they eventually reach a water body such as rivers, estuaries, and lakes. We are also interested in the water chemistry defining the quality of those water bodies. Successfully characterizing these flow paths and water quality metrics can help to alert communities to employ new winter deicing strategies, nutrient reduction practices, or water conservation technologies where they are most needed. It can also help broader society understand that clean water requires investments and protection so that legislation can provide these resources.
IALS: Who do you admire and why?
CG: My grandmother for the grit, tenacity, and poise she has had throughout her life. Maria Alicia Guzman moved from Ecuador to New York City in the later stages of her life to facilitate a new life for her teenage children. She pulled together resources, networked across communities, and sacrificed a lot to ensure that my parents and aunts and uncles had places to stay and meals to eat. She has always kept a classy appearance, highly respectful to everyone, and is a captivating storyteller..
IALS: What are your interests when you are not a scientist?
CG: I enjoy spending time with my family at the beach and Salsa dancing.
IALS: Thank you so much Christian, and congratulations!
Learn more about Prof. Guzman's research.