Dr. Steve Burian is a Civil Engineering professor, Director of the U Water Center and the Project Director of the USAID-funded U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water at the University of Utah. His research group has contributed new approaches for designing urban water infrastructure, innovative urban databases and water modeling techniques, sustainable solutions for distributed water-energy-food systems in cities, and practical adaptation strategies for water managers facing aging infrastructure and climate change.

Dr. M. Aslam Chaudhry is an experienced Program Manager and Natural Resources Economist with expertise in developing, managing and implementing development programs within the context of water-development nexus. His policy development experience covers a combination of research and analysis, institutional development, and shaping public policy discourse for advancing the implementation of sustainable development agenda. Dr. Chaudhry is presently working as a Research Professor of Economics at the University of Utah and also serving as Chief of Party of the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water established at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology. Prior to joining the University of Utah, he served the United Nations Secretariat for 24+ years, where he held several managerial positions including Director of the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development in Republic of Korea; Chief of Water and Natural Resources Branch; and Senior Water Adviser. During his career with the UN, he led the coordination of several global intergovernmental and institutional development processes, and helped building durable partnerships with the governments, funding partners, technical institutes and the private sector. His work in developing countries primarily focused on enhancing their institutional and technical capacities in advancing the implementation of global water agenda. From 2006 to 2009, he served as the Secretary of the UN-Water, where he coordinated the work of 31 UN agencies in the area of water. Dr. Chaudhry holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Natural Resources Economics from Colorado State University, USA, and is the author of several papers, chapters in books, and parliamentary reports for the UN.

Tiana Gittins is the U Water Center’s official “cat-wrangler,” adeptly handling everything from event coordination to travel arrangements to managing the Center’s social media accounts. A native of Australia whose previous experience ranges from travel agent to fashion and costume design, Tiana enjoys wearing many hats loves the global perspective that working for the Center offers.

Managing the financials for the U Water Center is one of many hats worn by Ming Li. Her years of experience navigating complex parameters of large grants have made her an enormous campus asset and, as such, her time is also shared with the U’s Global Change and Sustainability Center.