What initially drew you to water research?My dedication to protect and provide water is ingrained by my Central Appalachian heritage, where my neighborhood creek was polluted by sewage and irresponsible natural resource extraction. My lifetime enjoyment of the outdoors-especially water -drove me to find solutions for these environmental problems. From my earliest undergraduate research experience studying slow sand filters for microbial water treatment in developing countries, I was captivated by the intersection of environmental microbiology and engineering. The integration of these fields unites my past experiences and informs my research plans. What is the present research focus of your group?I am building on my convergent engineering and microbiology background, and graduate certificates in both teaching and mentoring, to inspire and educate students to sustainably engineer safe water for the health and enjoyment of future generations. I lead the Water TEAM (Treatment Engineering and Microbiome) in applying emerging molecular biology tools, novel sensors, big data analyses, and optimized treatment technologies to understand and control microbiomes in natural and engineered waters. Our overarching goal 16 JOURNAL AWWA T h e o r y a n d P r a c t i c e o f S a f e , S u s t a i n a b l e W a t e r www.awwawaterscience.com Natalie enjoys the view atop Looking Glass Rock near Asheville, N.C., with her corgi, Betty.