Dr. Cording is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Coordinator of the Ecological Restoration program at Paul Smith’s 美女萝莉. She is also a Research Affiliate at the University of Hawai’i鈥檚 Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) and served on the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Dr. Cording’s work in the environmental field spans over twenty years, with reach into both the private and non-profit sectors. Within her consulting company, she serves as the Senior Ecological Designer. She has worked on projects within the northeastern and western U.S, as well as India (Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu), Norway, and Hawaii.
She earned her PhD from the University of Vermont鈥檚 (UVM) Department of Plant and Soil Science. Her academic research is focused on reducing pollutant loads reaching waterbodies, by maximizing the pollutant removal mechanisms in ecological design features such as bioretention, permeable pavement, and constructed wetlands. On the policy side, she is working to help others implement sustainability practices at the building, landscape, and community scales by providing design and regulatory guidance.
Academic
- Ph.D., Plant & Soil Science, University of Vermont, 2016
Courses Taught
- Soils & Hydrology
- Watershed Science, Restoration Ecology, and Ecological Restoration
- Introduction to GIS
- Senior Group Science Capstone
Awards:
Outstanding Faculty of the Year | Awarded by the Student Government Association | Spring 2026
Publications:
1. Cording, A. (In Preparation) The Accumulation of Mercury in the Adirondack Mountains鈥� Common Loon (Gavia immer) Populations.
2. Cording, A., Babcock, R., and Castillo, J. (In Preparation). Investigating the relative pollutant removal efficiency of biochar, mulch, coconut coir, and native soils of Hawaii within bioretention systems.
3. Cording, A., Hurley, S., and Adair, C. (In Preparation). Pollutant mass mobilization and speciation during the stormwater first flush.
4. Mani, M., Bateni, S., Bozorg-Haddad, O., and Cording, A. (2021). 鈥淐hapter 4: Stormwater management by low impact development practices.鈥� Water Resources: Future Perspectives, Challenges, Concepts and Necessities, IWA Publishing, 63鈥�86.
5. Cording, A., Hurley, S., and Adair, C. (2018). Influence of Critical Bioretention Design Factors and Projected Increases in Precipitation due to Climate Change on Roadside Bioretention Performance. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 144(9).
6. Cording, A., Hurley, S., and Whitney, D. (2017). Monitoring methods and designs for evaluating bioretention performance. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 143(12).
7. Hurley, S. E., Shrestha, P., and Cording, A. (2017). 鈥淣utrient leaching from compost: a laboratory study with implications for bioretention and other green stormwater infrastructure.鈥� Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment, 1鈥�8.
8. Boving, T. B., Choudri, B. S., Cady, P., Cording, A., Patil, K., and Reddy, V. (2014). 鈥淗ydraulic and hydrogeochemical characteristics of a riverbank filtration site in Rural India.鈥� Water Environment Research, 86(7).
9. Cady, P., Boving, T. B., Choudri, B. S., Cording, A., Patil, K., and Reddy, V. (2013). 鈥淎ttenuation of bacteria at a riverbank filtration site in rural India.鈥� Water Environment Research, 85(11).
Conference Presentations:
1. Society for Ecological Restoration World Conference (October 2025) 鈥淚nvestigating the Relative Pollutant Removal Efficiencies of Biochar, Mulch, Coconut Coir, and Native Soils of Hawaii within Stormwater BMPs.鈥� Denver, CO
2. Kihei Community Association, Monthly Meeting (January 2022, Virtual). 鈥淜ihei Drainage Master Plan Ecological Alternatives Assessment for Waipuilani and Kulanihakoi Districts.鈥�
3. International Tropical Islands Water Conference (April 2021, Virtual). 鈥淚nvestigating the Relative Pollutant Removal Efficiencies of Biochar, Mulch, Coconut Coir, and Native Soils of Hawaii within Stormwater BMPs.鈥�
4. City and County of Honolulu Stormwater Workshop (November 2020, Virtual). 鈥淯sing Engineered Soil Media in Stormwater BMPs.鈥�
5. Waipahu High School, Virtual Coaching Session (October 2020, Virtual). 鈥淒esigning a Campus Demonstration Project.鈥�
6. Pacific Water Conference (February 2019). 鈥淐an LID techniques be used to remove Toxoplasma gondii?鈥� Honolulu, HI
7. Stormwater Quality Conference, Panelist (July 2019). 鈥淟ID and BMP Implementation and Case Studies.鈥� Honolulu, HI
8. County of Maui Construction and Post Construction BMP Workshop (August 2017). 鈥淕SI Performance Monitoring & Design Considerations for Maximizing Pollutant Removal.鈥� Kahului, Maui
9. City and County of Honolulu Construction & Post-Construction BMP Workshop (June 2017). 鈥淕SI Performance Monitoring & Design Considerations for Maximizing Pollutant Removal.鈥� Honolulu, HI.
10. American Institute of Architects Maui Annual Workshop. (May 2017). 鈥淪tormwater Management the Natural Way.鈥� Kahului, Maui
11. Kihei Community Association, Annual Meeting. (March 2017). 鈥淲hat is Low Impact Development?鈥� Kihei, Maui
12. Hawaii Green Building Council, Community Bike Awareness Event (July 2017). 鈥淲hat is a Truly Green, Complete Street?鈥� Honolulu, HI
13. U.S. Green Building Council Hawaii, Build and Buy Green Annual Conference, Cording, A and Tierney, I. (October 2017). 鈥淕reen Apple Day of Service, H膩lau K奴 M膩na Rain Garden鈥�, Honolulu, HI.