Dr. Abigail Owen

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Abigail E. Owen is an Associate Teaching Professor and the Program Director at the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, which she completed in 2011. Her research primarily focuses on environmental history, particularly related to groundwater management and its implications for international development. Owen's dissertation, titled 'Hidden Waters: Groundwater Histories in Iran and the Mediterranean', has informed many of her current projects, including a multi-author edited translation and commentary of the 11th-century Arabic text, al-Karaji’s 'Treatise on Extraction of Hidden Waters'. She has also contributed to academic discourse as a co-editor for the book 'Knowledge Translation: Global Patterns of Scientific Exchange, 1000–1800 CE' published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in 2018. Alongside her research, Owen is actively involved in teaching and has led various courses that engage students in global environmental issues, food security, and environmental ideas.

Research Interests

Courses

79-315 Politics of Water: Global Controversies, Past and Present 79-283 Hungry World: Food and Famine in Global Perspective 79-336 Introduction to Environmental Ideas 79-336 Oil and Water: Mideast Perspectives in Environmental History 66-119 Grand Challenge Interdisciplinary Freshman Seminar: Feeding the World

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.