New WWA Director Ben Livneh

Western Water Assessment is thrilled to welcome Dr. Ben Livneh as our new Director! Ben has worked closely with the program for almost 10 years, first as a postdoctoral researcher and then as a principal investigator on the core program team. His hydrology research integrates social science methods and is consistently driven by the priorities of water managers and other decision makers in the region. Current projects include building understanding of climate impacts on snowpack and water supply predictability, and investigating the impacts of wildfire on water runoff. Ben is also a CIRES Fellow and an Assistant Professor in the CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering department.

We are grateful to WWA’s outgoing Director, Dr. Lisa Dilling, for her innovative and fearless leadership over the past 7 years. As Director, Lisa deeply integrated social science perspectives throughout our activities, and most recently she co-led our successful RISA funding proposal. She will remain a principal investigator on the core WWA program team, and we are excited to continue to work with her. 

Ben, Lisa, and the entire WWA team are excited to advance projects that build community and water system resilience to compounding climate hazards, particularly in frontline communities in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. You can learn more about Ben and WWA’s Director transition in this new CIRES highlight.