March 30 | 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM ET
Panel: A Day in the Life of Professionals in the Water Community
Jennifer Pitt
Director
National Audubon Society's Colorado River Program
Jennifer Pitt is director of National Audubon Society’s Colorado River Program, where she works to protect and restore rivers. She is a leading advocate for the United States–Mexico collaboration to restore the long-desiccated Colorado River Delta, and serves as the U.S. co-chair of the binational work group whose partners will, through 2026, implement existing treaty commitments providing environmental flows and habitat creation. Prior to joining Audubon, she worked at the Environmental Defense Fund where she collaborated with Colorado River stakeholders to produce the unprecedented Colorado River Basin Supply and Demand Study, the first federal assessment of climate change impacts in the basin and the first basin-wide evaluation of the impacts of river system operation on water supply reliability and river health. Jennifer worked for a member of Congress and as a ranger for the National Park Service. She graduated from Harvard University and received a master’s in Environmental Science and Policy from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Lindsey Yasarer
Research Hydrologist
US Department of Agriculture
Dr. Lindsey Yasarer is a Research Hydrologist with the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and works within the Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit at the National Sedimentation Laboratory located in Oxford, Mississippi. She has experience in the areas of watershed hydrology and limnology, with a focus on using watershed modeling to understand the influences of climate and landscape processes on water quality. She is currently working with a team of scientists to study the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices for water management and water quality improvement.
William A. Battaglin
Research Hydrologist
US Geological Survey
Bill Battaglin is currently a Research Hydrologist for the U. S. Geological Survey in Lakewood, Colorado. Bill received a B.A. in Geology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1984, and a M. E. in Geological Engineering, from the Colorado School of Mines, in 1992. He has work with various offices of the USGS since 1982. Bill has designed and conduct numerous studies investigating the occurrence of pesticides and other contaminants in streams, reservoirs, groundwater, rain, and the air. His recent research includes: investigations of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in streams and lakes in or near National Parks, the effects of pesticides on amphibian populations in North America, the influence of emerging contaminants on Asian carp spawning in the Illinois River, and the potential impacts of climate change on National Parks. Bill has been an active member of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) since 1993, serving on several conference committees, the board of directors, State section President in 2009, and National President in 2012. Bill enjoys hiking, skiing, camping, ultimate, golf and just about anything else that can be enjoyed outdoors.
Katus Watson, PE, DBIA
Vice President, Geographic Operations Manager
Jacobs Engineering Group
Katus Watson currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for Jacobs’ Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Oklahoma. Throughout his 22-year tenure with the firm, Katus has built an extensive portfolio that includes water, environmental, transportation, and building projects. Katus manages a team of approximately 1,200 staff providing a variety of services including consulting, design-build, construction management, program management, and operations & maintenance.
In addition to his leadership role, Katus is passionate about delivering superior services for his clients, fostering innovation, and increasing focus on staff engagement by creating a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. In fact, his passion and advocacy has culminated into a mission that is dedicated to advancing justice and equity for all. To that end, last year he spearheaded a council, and served as chair, to address the immediate issues related to racial injustice and inequalities for Jacobs’ Black employees. That council developed the Jacobs Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality, which has been integrated throughout Jacobs on a global level and drives the principles of inclusive leadership and diversity of thought.
Katus earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.E. in Environmental Engineering from Howard University where he currently serves as the chair of the Civil Engineering Advisory Board. Outside of work, Katus enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and traveling to his hometown in Jamaica. He is also a die-hard Miami Heat fan!
Jason Doll
Senior Project Manager
KCI Technologies Inc
Mr. Doll has more than 26 years as an environmental scientist and project manager specializing in watershed planning, water quality modeling, stormwater management, and ecological restoration for both public and private sector clients throughout North America. In particular, he has completed numerous watershed planning projects utilizing multi-disciplinary approaches to integrate ecological restoration with point and non-point source management measures to develop comprehensive strategies to improve and protect watershed functions. Mr. Doll also provides significant experience in urban/suburban stream restoration, as well as individual drainage improvement projects and green infrastructure retrofits. He is formally trained in natural channel design principles and low impact development.