Kate Wernicke is a dual PhD student in the Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy. She joined the WaterCube NRT Fellowship Program in 2024 after working for three years in Professor Jade Mitchell’s lab.

Wernicke’s research focuses on risk prioritization of contaminants in drinking water systems to determine which threats require immediate action. “We’re building a risk prioritization framework that ranks both emerging and legacy contaminants in drinking water systems,” she said. “Right now, we’re starting with Michigan, but we want to apply this to the whole universe of contaminants, which is a very wide range.” Wernicke’s work emphasizes proactive public health protection by providing water suppliers with the tools to prevent contamination events before they occur.

Unlike many of her peers who focus on water quantity, or how much water is available where, Wernicke’s approach is primarily computational, relying on modeling rather than laboratory experiments to analyze drinking water quality. That difference has shaped her experience in the WaterCube program.

Wernicke values being part of a cohort with other researchers working in water because it gives her a different perspective on the types of “water wicked problems” people are dealing with. She’s found the program’s seminars, conferences, and retreats especially valuable. 

In May of 2025, Wernicke presented her work at the Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Conference at Duke University, and in December, she presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, where she focused on toxicity and health criteria for her models. 

Looking ahead, Wernicke hopes to participate in an international experience, possibly in Europe, to further strengthen her collaborations and broaden the application of her framework. “I grew up in Asia, so I’d like to go somewhere I haven’t been,” she said. “I’m still trying to decide between attending a conference in Europe, or becoming a visiting scholar in another lab.”