Student Spotlight: Davis Greenstreet
Described as the perfect step in his career path, Davis Greenstreet, a senior studying civil environmental engineering at the University of Kansas, dove head first into the world of research through the ARISE Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.
The ARISE REU program is a competitive, fully funded 10-week summer research opportunity where students are paired with professors from Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State University.
Greenstreet’s project took a look at how groundwater management policies affect local economies across the Ogallala Aquifer and the Great Plains. His research took place under the mentorship of Assistant Research Professor and Co-Director of the Kansas Science Consortium, William Duncan.
“I’m hoping to go into water resources, and so learning about the [Ogallala] Aquifer and groundwater management irrigation was, I think, a perfect step in my career path,” Greenstreet said.
From learning how to use different software programs to crunching numbers or getting feedback, Greenstreet credits everything he knows about this project to his mentor.
“He was really helpful at just giving me good feedback on what I was working on, helping me stay guided, and he was really helpful when I was putting together my poster and pitch presentation,” Greenstreet said.
At the end of the program, students were asked to create a research poster and a 3-minute research talk, giving them the opportunity to present their work for colleagues and others interested in their realm of work.
However, for Greenstreet, the most memorable part of the program beyond the research was the community he found along the way.
“I had a really fun time, and the research was cool. Working with Dr. Duncan was awesome, but truly my favorite part was working with my coworkers and getting to know this group of people was really fun.”
At the University of Kansas, Davis is the community service chair and engineering council representative for the American Society of Civil Engineering. He assists in planning the KU Engineering Expo, where over 2,000 children learn about STEM through activities.
The ARISE REU program is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation EPSCoR award number OIA-2148878, with matching support from the State of Kansas through the Kansas Board of Regents.
Learn more about the summer program and see full 2026 cohort list.
—Story by Valeria Solis, KU Junior
