Dr. Jefferson is the Robert and Genevieve Patrick Professor in Watershed Science and Planning in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, where she teaches undergraduate courses in the Environmental Sciences curriculum and graduate courses in the Aquatic Ecology and Watershed Sciences curriculum. She is also the Director of the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center. Through her research, she works to improve the resilience and sustainability of water resources and aquatic ecosystems. She conducts research in hydrology and geomorphology to understand river ecosystems in human-altered landscapes, with emphases on urban watersheds, stormwater management, and plastic pollution.