Andrea Brookfield

Andrea Brookfield’s interests include the development and use of efficient yet effective numerical tools for resource management. Primarily, she studies the use of hydrological models to simulate flow and contaminant transport, including the thermal regime, for prediction, management, and process investigation. Her research emphasizes the holistic nature of all natural and engineered systems, seeking to balance competing water demands, such as energy production, and agricultural and urban development to maintain economic, social, and environmental stability.

• Integrated hydrology of the surface and subsurface

• Hydrological modeling

• Optimization modeling

• Reactive transport modeling

• Water resource management

• Contaminant transport

• Contamination & Remediation: Water, Soil, Air

• Climate Change and Geosciences

• Increasingly Complex Water Challenges

• Sustainable Water Use and Management

• Climate Extremes and Food Production”

• Protection of Surface and Groundwater Resources

• Legacies of Agriculture Pollutants

• Protection of Drinking Water from the Ravages of Climate Change

Professor Brookfield’s primary research interests and expertise focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of models used for simulating and predicting changes in water resources in the surface and subsurface.

She develops, integrates, and uses a wide variety of tools, ranging from computationally demanding, fully-integrated, physically-based surface/subsurface hydrological models and multi-component reactive transport models to computationally frugal analytical solutions, to meet this objective.

Her research goals stem from an interest in developing effective and efficient tools for water resource management and planning, and closing the gap between cutting-edge scientific tools and those utilized by resource managers, industry, and other stakeholders.

• 2009, Doctorate Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2003, Master of Science Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2000, Bachelor of Applied Science Civil (Environmental) Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2009: University of Waterloo Ph.D. Completion Award

• 2005-2006: Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology - Geomatrix Consultants

• 2003-2005: Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Post-Graduate Scholarship B

• 2003-2005: University of Waterloo Graduate Incentive Award

• 2003-2004: University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship

• 2002: University of Waterloo Acid Rain Scholarship

• 2000-2002: NSERC Post-Graduate Scholarship A

• 2000-2001: University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship

• 2001: Provost's Graduate Women's Incentive Fund Scholarship

• 2000: Sir Sandford Fleming Foundation Co-Op Proficiency Medal

• 1999: Faculty of Engineering Upper Year Scholarship

• 1997: Sir Sandford Fleming Award for Most Outstanding Work Report

• 2019-2020: Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, 1st Vice Chair

• 2018-2019: Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, 2nd Vice Chair

• 2009-2019: Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Newsletter Editor.

• 2011-Present: Groundwater Journal, Associate Editor

• 2017-2019: Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Student Mentor

• 2017: Douglas County Water Festival Volunteer

• 2017: Hill’s Pet Nutrition, World Water Day Workshop Volunteer

• Geological Society of America

• American Geophysical Union

• International Association of Hydrogeologists

• Association for Women Geoscientists

• Professional Engineers of Ontario (Engineer in Training)

• Member, Water Institute

• EARTH 123 - Introductory Hydrology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 355 - Water: Data to Decisions
  • Taught in 2024, 2025
• EARTH 491 - Special Topics in Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2025
• EARTH 651 - Advanced Groundwater Modelling
  • Taught in 2022, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.