Laura Kohler

Laura Kohler is a Research Analyst in the Research & Learning Department at CAWST. Dr. Kohler joined the CAWST Research & Learning team in July 2016 as a Research Analyst. She recently received her PhD in Civil Systems Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research used on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) performance data to model the reliability, risk, and resilience of very decentralized, owner-operated sanitation solutions using multivariate statistical methods. The models provide information that can be used to facilitate decisions about OWTS technologies such as septic systems as sanitation alternatives and guide the development of more effective OWTS management strategies. She holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering focused in WASH also from the University of Colorado Boulder and a BA in Civil Engineering from Carroll College in Montana. Dr. Kohler has also served as a Water and Sanitation Engineer with the Peace Corps in southern Honduras, worked with Water for People in Guatemala in WASH monitoring using mobile technology, and worked in the US on water resources engineering and in youth education. She will be presenting on “Barriers to knowledge sharing in the sanitation sector: a survey-based study”. The primary purpose of this study was to understand how knowledge is currently accessed and shared within the sector, and what barriers prevent effective knowledge transfer. The study consisted of an online survey. The survey was sent to addresses from several WASH distribution lists. Links to the survey were also sent via newsletters, such as Sanitation Updates. The survey was available in English, French, and Spanish, and could be filled out as an online survey, or be download and completed offline. In total, 2687 people responded to the survey between July 27 and September 15, 2017. Responses were analyzed as a whole, as well as by key segments and “personas” (e.g. policy makers, academics, national NGOs).