Two new employees have joined the Idaho Water Resource Research Institute staff at University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene.  

Margaret “Meg” Wolf is the interim assistant director for IWRRI, and Michael “Woody” Wood is IWRRI’s outreach and operations coordinator. Both Wolf and Wood will be based at U of I Coeur d’Alene’s Harbor Center near the North Idaho College campus. 

IWRRI is one of 54 water research and technology centers across the U.S. and is affiliated with University of Idaho, the state’s land-grant university. IWRRI staff, researchers and volunteers conduct and direct research to support water resource needs in the state, region and nation. In North Idaho, the institute organizes community outreach and education programming, including Bay Watchers, Our Gem, Stormwater and Erosion Education Program and The Confluence Project. 

The statewide institute includes multi-disciplinary faculty and staff from throughout U of I’s campus locations and research centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, McCall, Moscow, and Twin Falls. The institute also hosts a graduate affiliate program for U of I students in the College of Natural Resources’ graduate programs.  

Wolf comes to IWRRI from the University of Utah, where she recently earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in geology and geophysics specializing in hydrology and water resources. She earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental science and geology from Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her research has focused on predicting streamflow variability in snowmelt-generated watersheds in the western U.S. Her work identified long-term climatic and hydrologic variability in small headwater streams contributing to major river basins, such as the Colorado River or the Great Salt Lake.   

Wolf said that in her role as interim assistant director, she aims to establish connections between university researchers, stakeholders and community members for advancing water research throughout Idaho. Her goal is to assist Idaho water managers and stakeholders in identifying current and future challenges facing water users and collaborating with researchers across multiple disciplines to address these challenges using the best available science.  

Wood comes to IWRRI from within the Vandal family, serving as U of I Coeur d’Alene’s building superintendent while he works toward graduating with his master’s degree in environmental science in spring 2024. He earned his bachelor’s degree in resource recreation and tourism from U of I in Moscow and his master’s degree in ministry from Pepperdine University.  

His initial career involved student outreach in Oregon, Virginia and Montana before he returned to Idaho in 2008 and began a new career in natural resources and sustainability.  

 Wood said he has a strong commitment to stewarding the North Idaho environment, and he enjoys the region’s lakes, rivers and streams. He wants to ensure that future generations can also enjoy them.    

“My work has always included mentoring and teaching young people,” said Wood. “I am excited to bring this experience to our current IWRRI outreach and to pursue opportunities to provide water research education to more students in the region.” 

For more information, visit uidaho.edu/research/entities/iwrri or contact University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene at 208-667-2588 or cdactr@uidaho.edu .

The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to preserve lake health and protect water quality by promoting community awareness of local water resources through education, outreach and stewardship. Our Gem includes local experts from the University of Idaho Community Water Resource Center, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce and Connect Kootenai.

    Michael "Woody" Wood