Amidst concerns over climate change and the need for sustainability, Debjani Singh of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) carves a niche in the intersection of data science and water resources. Singh, a senior scientist at ORNL, helms the HydroSource project, a comprehensive digital platform offering data-rich resources to aid water power research and development efforts, according to a report by ORNL.
Since 2019, Singh has been tasked with transforming ORNL's extensive hydropower data so that it's findable, interoperable, and reusable for a range of users from researchers to policy makers. In a world increasingly driven by evidence and data, Singh underscores the necessity for accessible information. "What does it mean if the data is just sitting on your laptop? Nothing," Singh told ORNL. While the HydroSource platform has become a vital source for hydropower-related datasets within the United States, it also represents a collaborative effort with large federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The ambition behind Singh's work extends to harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate new datasets and insights. This progressive approach could reshape the landscape of water resource management and hydropower development. Additionally, Singh’s leadership extends to managing research data for NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program, a fundamental repository for ecological and atmospheric data curated by ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics, a clear testament to her multidisciplinary expertise.
Hailing from a science-centric family in Durgapur, India, Singh's trajectory into the scientific world seemed almost predestined. With her father, an engineer, fostering her inclination toward the sciences, Singh initially channeled this interest into geology before moving into the digital realm during her tenure with Tata Consultancy Services. It was this turn in her career where Singh solidified her expertise in software development and its implementation in earth sciences. Singh's desire to blend research with real-world applications found her pursuing graduate studies in the United States, where she delved deeply into water resources.
Climate change implications on water quality across the nation’s hydropower network are the next frontier for Singh's research. At ORNL, she continues to pave the way in data science applications for the hydropower industry. Currently, Singh and her team work on developing a web-based application to indicate hydropower assets in potential danger from climate effects, as well as a natural language processing model to sift through extensive documentation within the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s e-library. "This is going to be revolutionary, not only for our work, but also for the industry and others related to hydropower," Singh explained to ORNL.
Outside of her professional life, Singh finds solace and joy with her family, embracing outdoor excursions in the nation's national parks, further tying her personal life to the ethos of environmental appreciation and the pursuit of sustainable solutions.
