
Endowed by the estate of Francis Kohout, an early pioneer in the study of geothermally driven circulation of seawater, the award honors early-career scientists for outstanding achievements in the hydrogeologic profession through original research and service, and for their potential for continued excellence throughout their careers.
A hydrologist, Dr. Kelleher studies the movement, distribution, and management of water, and explores relationships between hydrological processes and water quality in natural and human-impacted watersheds using data analysis and hydrologic modeling. She joined the faculty at Syracuse University in 2016.
Dr. Kelleher is a 2008 graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, she traveled to Uganda to conduct research on water quality. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.


