The overarching objective of Derek's research program is to enhance and improve both the sustainability of water resources (water quantity and water quality) and the profitability of agricultural production in Nebraska and the Great Plains. His current research interests include sprinkler irrigation, variable rate irrigation, irrigation management based on remote sensing, international irrigation development, and vadose zone hydrology. The objective of his teaching program is to prepare students to be wise managers of irrigation, water resources, and agricultural systems. He is focused on irrigation education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Derek is the Partnership Coordinator for the partnership between the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) and the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands, which includes a double degree program (M.S.) in Advanced Water Management for Food Production. Before starting his research and teaching career, Derek spent two years working at a civil engineering firm in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Derek grew up on a farm in southeastern South Dakota and developed an interest in conserving natural resources while participating in FFA land judging and natural resources competitions.