POP Talks 2025: The science and collaboration behind Idaho’s water future

How do we manage Idaho’s growing water challenges? 

In this POP Talk, Kendra Kaiser, director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI), shares how her team is changing the game by connecting scientists, policymakers and communities across Idaho. Together, they’re transforming water research into real-world solutions that help the people who need them most.

Kendra Kaiser, Ph.D., water research and resource management

Kaiser is working to make Idaho’s water research relevant and accessible to decision-makers by connecting faculty and partners across the state. She focuses on identifying water research needs and helps fill those gaps with science that serves local water users.

A watershed hydrologist by training, Kaiser brings a collaborative, boots-on-the-ground approach to everything from streamflow forecasting tools to data centralization and visualization. Whether she’s partnering with state agencies, irrigators or fellow researchers, her goal is simple: Get the right information into the right hands, so Idaho’s water can be managed more sustainably — for today and for the future.

POP Talks — Power of Possibility

University of Idaho research reaches far beyond our campuses — it shapes the world. POP Talks — Power of Possibility Talks — annually spotlights eight faculty whose discoveries address global challenges in health, sustainability, technology and society. These presentations reveal how innovative ideas born in Idaho ripple across continents, improving lives and inspiring change. The audience joins the presenters for an hour of bold thinking and transformative research that proves possibility knows no borders.