WaterCube NRT Fellows Attend National Science Foundation Annual Meeting in Golden, Colorado
Published April 15, 2026
WaterCube NRT trainees Autumn Bland (Department of Sociology) and Rui Li (Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences) presented posters at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship Annual Meeting, Mar. 23-24, 2026, in Golden, Colorado. Joined by a community of fellow researchers from throughout the country, the women noted that the meeting’s discussions were both rewarding and validating to their work.
Bland presented a poster on research she completed alongside MSU Associate Professor Stephen Gasteyer, Matrix: The Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences at MSU, and the non-profit DigDeep. (Dis)closing the Water Gap is a national dashboard designed by Bland and her colleagues to identify and address water access and inequality in the U.S.
PhD students Rui Li and Autumn Bland at the 2026 NRT Annual Meeting.
Read More: Spartans Making a Difference: (Dis)closing the Water Gap
“The NSF NRT annual meeting was a great opportunity to share more about the dashboard, and get feedback on how people could envision themselves using it,” Bland said. “I’m incredibly grateful to the WaterCube NRT and the continued support they have given me. I’m also grateful for the support of my amazing collaborators and my advisor Dr. Gasteyer.”
For Li, the experience allowed for meaningful conversations with faculty and graduate students completing similar research. In addition to presenting on machine learning and PFAS plant uptake, or phytoremediation in agriculture, Li engaged in dialogue that expanded her knowledge of topics she doesn’t typically cover.
“I enjoyed exploring posters across disciplines and attending sessions on collaboration and learning strategies,” she said. “…topics that aren’t always part of my daily lab life but are essential for growth as a scientist.”
Li was thankful to her support system for sponsoring the trip, and encouraging her to apply for the annual conference, stating, “I’m grateful to the WaterCube NRT and to my advisor, Wei Zhang. It was a pleasure getting to connect with Xiaobo Tan, Erin Dreelin, Julie Blazevski, and Autumn—their support throughout means a lot.”
Bland and Li’s experiences at the 2026 NRT Annual Meeting illustrate just one aspect of the WaterCube’s commitment to training the next generation of multifaceted scientists, where research extends beyond data into meaningful discussions and collaborations that create a lasting impact.
Learn more about the WaterCube NRT Fellowship Program
Story by Cass Thorman, Aja Witt