David Purkey, Ph.D.
Director, Water Group
From his office in the Davis, California David Purkey leads the Water Group within the US Center, with staff located in both the Somerville, Massachusetts and Davis office. He also serves as the co-Deputy Director of one of four SEI-International research themes: Managing Environmental Systmes. Much of his work centers around the development, dissemination and application of SEI's Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system. His research interests include understanding the potential impacts of and adaptation to climate change in the water sector and aquatic ecosystems, integrated water resources management that focuses on linking the management of surface water and groundwater to meet a broad spectrum of objectives, and equitable management of transboundary water resources. David and his team are experienced in applying a range of hydrologic, hydraulic, and planning models in setting as diversion as California, the US-Mexico border, the Great Lakes, and West and Southern Africa, and Latin America.
David received his Ph.D. in hydrology from the University of California, Davis in 1998 and holds a B.A. in Geology for Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.