Being one of the biggest streams under the FRI program with more than 400 students, mentors and faculty, Urban Ecosystems houses three unique teams each headed by a research educator. Each team has a different focus and discipline that it derives its research techniques from. Team Energy, headed by Dr. Mary Poteet, focuses more on the ecological aspects looking at the aquatic ecosystems of creeks and the effects of stressors on them. Meanwhile, the research of Team Ruth, led by Dr. Ruth Sheer, is centered around analytical chemistry using GCMS, LMCS, and other techniques. Finally, Team Stuart, headed by Dr. Stuart Reichler, utilizes techniques from biology such as PCR and bacterial culturing to conduct their research.
Despite the varying techniques and methods, all three teams contribute to the overarching objective of restoring and understanding Waller Creek and the environment around Austin.