The Team
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WILLIAM BATCHELOR
DIRECTOR, AU WATER RESOURCES CENTER
PROFESSOR, BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
wdb0007@auburn.edu
ALFA ROOM 111
William Batchelor became the WRC Director in 2025. As director, he leads the WRC team in working with communities, farmers, governments and agencies across Alabama to improve water monitoring, green infrastructure, watershed planning and more.
Batchelor is also a professor of biosystems engineering at Auburn with expertise in crop simulation modeling, precision farming and irrigation. He served as dean of the Auburn College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station from 2010 to 2015.
MONA DOMINGUEZ
Mona Dominguez joined the Alabama Water Watch team in 2009. She became the Director of AWW in 2017. She has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of the South Sewanee and a Masters of Community Planning from Auburn University.
In addition to overseeing the operations of AWW, she develops training materials, facilitates workshops, and seeks out opportunities for collaboration and growth. She also works internationally with the Global Water Watch Program to develop and implement community-based water monitoring programs.
SERGIO RUIZCORDOVA
Sergio joined the AWW team in 1993 while pursuing a M.S. in Aquatic Ecology from Auburn University. He oversees the activities of the Global Water Watch Program including the implementation of community-based, science-based watershed stewardship projects in other countries.
Sergio’s work with AWW primarily involves data management and reporting. He works closely with citizens of all backgrounds and ages encouraging awareness about water issues and the environment while conducting citizen-based water monitoring and watershed stewardship sessions.
SYDNEY ZINNER
Sydney began volunteering as a water quality monitor with AWW in 2014 and became a citizen trainer in 2015. In 2017, she joined the WRC Team. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Auburn University.
Her work with Alabama Water Watch involves communicating and coordinating with volunteer monitors and trainers, preparing for workshops and helping the other program staff where needed.
CAROLINA RUIZ
Carolina joined the AWW team in 2017. Carolina has a B.S. in Interior Design from Auburn University.
Her primary responsibilities include data processing and management, workshop prep, volunteer coordination, lab and monitoring kit maintenance, and assisting other program staff with daily operations.
AMY ZVONAR
Amy Zvonar joined the AU Water Resources Center team in 2025. She has a B.A. in Biology from Agnes Scott College and a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment.
Amy’s brings more than 20 years of environmental education experience to the WRC and her primary role is to support the education and outreach programs of Alabama Water Watch and the Private Well Program.
JESSICA CURL
Jessica (Jessie) Curl joined the WRC Team in 2020 as an Extension Water Program Project Coordinator. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Auburn University.
She is the coordinator of the Alabama Private Well Program, where her duties include developing training materials and educational resources, facilitating workshops, and encouraging stakeholder engagement. Additional responsibilities include technical writing on the Sustainable Irrigation Adoption Project and organizing the annual Alabama Water Resources Conference.
LAURA BELL COOLEY
Laura Bell Cooley joined the WRC Team in 2018. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Urban and Environmental Planning and M.S. from Cornell University’s Department of Design and Environmental Analysis.
Laura is a project manager, planner, facilitator, and community builder. She provides leadership to initiatives that involve multiple agencies in environmental planning, decision-making, and restoration. She helps facilitate educational training opportunities, often for sectors working in green stormwater infrastructure and watershed planning. Cooley also develops communication strategies to engage the diverse audience that work with the AU Water Resources Center.
ADAM NEWBY
Adam Newby joined the WRC Team in 2021. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in Horticulture Science from The Ohio State University. Adam was Assistant Professor in the AU Department of Horticulture from 2013 to 2019 where he taught Nursery Management and focused his research on irrigation management in commercial production nurseries. From 2019 to 2021, Adam worked in the controlled environment agriculture private sector as a technical representative for a commercial potting mix company and as a private consultant.
Adam works on the Sustainable Irrigation Adoption Project and assists with other water resource-related projects.