A Career in the Water Sciences: Alex Graziano

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Alex Graziano (MS, 2013) is a former graduate student in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP) and the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC).  As a graduate student, he studied with Dr. R. Chris Jones, and also conducted research and did other work for PEREC. Alex recently got in touch with Dr. Jones, and was kind enough to share what he has been up to career-wise with us since graduating from Mason.  

by Alex Graziano

Alex Graziano received a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from Mason in 2013 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mason in 2009. Since completing his master’s degree, he has pursued a career in the water sciences with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Alex first started at the USGS as a hydrologic technician with the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center before heading to the New Mexico Water Science Center (NMWSC) for a position as a hydrologist. He has supported hydrologic gaging operations in both states and his work has allowed him to visit over a hundred field sites, ranging from small mountain streams to major rivers and coastal storm surge monitors to groundwater wells in the desert.

While at the USGS NMWSC, Alex has served as a technical advisor for the Rio Grande and Pecos River Interstate Stream Commissions, which oversee water deliveries between the states of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. He has supported water quality monitoring efforts in the Animas and San Juan Rivers that began in response to the Gold King Mine spill of 2015. Alex has also served as a project chief and author of a geomorphic study of North Fork Eagle Creek, New Mexico, which is a stream located in the mountains of the Lincoln National Forest that had a substantial portion of its watershed severely impacted by wildfire in 2012.

Alex credits his time at Mason, and especially his time collaborating with the faculty and students of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), with fostering his interest in field research and water science. While at Mason, he had the opportunity to lead field research teams and participate in various education and research programs that included supporting the long-term Gunston Cove ecosystem study and continuous water quality monitoring efforts in the Potomac River watershed. His experiences at Mason provided him with valuable knowledge and a wide variety of technical skills (and fond memories) that continue to serve him well.

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