Allanah Kenny
Allanah Kenny is a groundwater scientist based at Christchurch Science Centre.
Qualifications
Allanah earned her Masters degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury.
About
Allanah's research focuses on modelling the transport of contaminants in groundwater, protection of water sources such as drinking wells, and visualisation of groundwater flow and the effects of pumping wells. A key project she's working on is the development of a visualisation tool to view groundwater in a 3D interactive model (currently based on Matakana Island in Tauranga Moana). The aim is to show individuals and communities how water travels when it enters the ground and how pumping wells can affect the recharge of springs and rivers. Allanah is also involved in a couple of projects looking at how we can effectively evaluate source protection zones to protect drinking water supply wells in Aotearoa New Zealand. Allanah has a Master’s degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining ESR she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Canterbury. Interestingly, Allanah's previous research had nothing to do with groundwater! Her PhD and post doctorate focused on modelling the cell dynamics and blood flow of the brain (sometimes using powerful supercomputers to simulate a tissue slice of the brain).