Dr. Thompson has degrees in agricultural, civil, and biological systems engineering and has worked as an engineer in state government and private consulting. Her research in stream and wetland restoration focuses on the role of vegetation in flow resistance and streambank erosion, mitigating the impacts of urban development on stream systems, and predicting the onset and rate of streambank erosion. She teaches courses in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and stream restoration and serves on the advisory board for the International Ecological Engineering Society.