Service to America Medal names USDA scientist as finalist

Mark Williams, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., was named a finalist for a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal in recognition of his research to protect water quality and aquatic life from pollutants in agricultural runoff.

The awards, also known as the “Sammies,” are given each year by the Partnership for Public Service to federal employees who have distinguished themselves by making the country safer, healthier and stronger.

“Dr. Williams’ research exemplifies the ARS mission to deliver scientific solutions to agricultural challenges across this nation,” says Chavonda Jacobs-Young, administrator for USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. “He is dedicated to finding innovative ways to protect our nation’s waterways, and this pioneering research has improved the way we grow food without negatively impacting our marine habitats.”

An agricultural engineer with ARS’ National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory in West Lafayette, Indiana, Williams is credited with showing the movement of nitrogen and phosphorus via commonly used field drainage systems. His efforts included investigating conservation practices to prevent the escape of these nutrients in runoff, which can enter lakes, rivers and other water resources, diminishing their quality and increasing the risk of toxin-producing algal blooms that can endanger aquatic life as well as impact commercial and recreational activities.

“The challenge is that we need to grow food, but in a way that doesn’t cause problems downstream — it’s more complicated than people think,” says Williams.

Williams has focused his expertise in field and watershed hydrology, as well as nutrient movement, to quantify where, when and how much nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer can pass through tile-drained systems.

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