MEET ADAM NEWBY, AUWRC WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your current role at the AUWRC?
I grew up on 117 acres of farmland in rural Warren County, Tennessee, and my family had a small tree production nursery. My childhood experiences gave me an appreciation for nature and a sense of connection to the land. A student job at the nearby Tennessee State University Nursery Research Center during high school and two years of community college instilled in me a love of research and introduced me to academic opportunities. I earned a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture at Auburn University in 2003 and 2006.
I was working for a retail garden center in Birmingham, AL in the summer of 2007 when a severe drought crippled the horticulture industry, the agriculture industry, and municipal water infrastructure in the Southeastern United States. I had already been planning to return to graduate school for a Ph.D. The 2007 drought motivated me to find a graduate school program where I could focus my studies on using our water resources more effectively and efficiently.
I earned a Ph.D. in Horticulture Science at The Ohio State University in 2013 where my work focused on the development of water use-efficient irrigation management practices for greenhouse-grown crops. I returned to Auburn University and was Assistant Professor of Sustainable Nursery Production Management from 2013 to 2019. My research focused on irrigation management in commercial production nurseries, and I taught the Nursery Management course. From 2019 to 2021, I worked in the commercial greenhouse crop production industry throughout the Southeast as a technical representative for a commercial potting mix company and as a private consultant in which I worked with commercial growers on best irrigation management practices.
Adam Newby and Mona Dominguez (AWW Director) attend the National Institutes for Water resources Annual Meeting, 2025.
I began working with the AU Water Resources Center in 2021 on the Watershed Plans for Irrigation program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is assisting the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (ALSWCC) in the planning and implementation of watershed projects that help Alabama farmers increase resilience to unpredictable weather patterns and droughts. NRCS contracts the AUWRC to develop watershed project plans for these projects. I coordinate the development of these plans which include input from experts at Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
I am also the Alabama coordinator for the USGS WRRA Program, a federal–state partnership that helps resolve State and regional water problems by supporting applied research, technology transfer, dissemination and application of research results, and the training of new scientists and engineers. The AUWRC is Alabama’s designated water resources research institute under this program, and we receive an annual base grant from the USGS. We use those funds to support researchers across Alabama through a competitive grant process and to support the outreach and education efforts of the AUWRC.
Over the past few years I’ve enjoyed contributing to maintaining and teaching about our campus stream, Parkerson Mill Creek. I’ve helped oversee invasive species removal projects, and I teach various student groups about the stream restoration and green infrastructure projects on campus.
Adam Newby and Laura Cooley work with student groups to remove invasive plants from Parkerson Mill Creek on Auburn’s campus.
What do you find most exciting about the work you do?
I get to play a role in work that protects Alabama’s water resources and ecosystems. That work ultimately benefits all of us. I get to work with amazing people who love what they do. I get excited about learning new things, and I’m constantly learning from the people with whom I get to work. That includes my colleagues at the AUWRC, university faculty and staff, and Alabama farmers.
How has working in Water Resources in Alabama changed or altered your perspective?
My background in agricultural irrigation management focused on reducing water use quantity, but I’ve come to realize the importance of protecting the quality of our water resources. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Society depends on clean water. Working with nature to keep our water resources unpolluted is much more economical in the long run than trying to clean the water after we create a water quality problem. I’ve come to believe that smart planning and good policy is what we need to preserve our shared water resources.
Adam Newby and Laura Cooley teach Auburn Students about stream restoration.
What is the best advice you have been given in your career?
I’ve learned from many people throughout my career. The lessons I have learned that I would pass on are: Develop skills that best suit your strengths. Don’t be afraid to brag about what you can do or what you’ve accomplished. Be flexible and open-minded.
What is a book you think everyone should read and why?
I think how or whether a book serves someone is dependent on the individual and even the point in time of an individual’s life. I can think of a couple of books that have served me well. First of all, I’m glad I was introduced to Tolkien in high school. The Hobbit demonstrated to me the pure joy a fictional world could bring to life. Another book that served me well at the time I read it was Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. I love history. Although it has some blind spots, it taught me not to take every story we are taught at face value. We all have our own experiences and viewpoints, and it’s okay to admit our perspectives can cause us to create stories around events that may not be entirely true.
To get in touch with Adam, email newbyaf@auburn.edu.