Dr. Glenn Tootle, professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, was selected as a recipient of the 2026-2027 J. William Fulbright Research Scholar Award to collaborate with scientists and engineers on drought planning and management.
Tootle will travel to Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2027 to collaborate with faculty of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Institute of Hydrology on a research project titled “Improved Drought Planning and Management in the Slovak Republic.” The award will be used to explore solutions for the extreme drought that Slovakia faces and provide the opportunity for the exchange of ideas among international engineers and scientists.
“I am honored to again represent The University of Alabama and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering as a Fulbright Scholar,” Tootle said. “I am grateful for the continued support of the College and the Capstone International Center.”
This marks Tootle’s second Fulbright Award as a faculty member at the University, following his service as a Fulbright Teaching and Research Scholar at Università di Trento in Italy in 2021. During this session, he collaborated with faculty and students to evaluate critical water resource challenges and taught classes in paleohydrology and hydroclimatology, with a focus on Alpine watersheds in Northeastern Italy.
“We plan to quantify paleo and historic drought in critical Slovak Republic watersheds, using this knowledge to improve drought planning,” Tootle said. “I hope this new partnership will lead to increased collaboration between UA and the Slovak Academy of Sciences in research and education.”
As a two-time lead principal investigator of the National Science Foundation’s Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change program, Tootle has directed the UA in Europe: Climate and Water Education Abroad program since 2013. Further, he plans to incorporate partnerships with the Slovak Academy of Sciences into future study abroad programs, aligning his Fulbright work with the University’s existing experiential learning programs.