Education

2015-2020: Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering (Hydrology and Hydrodynamics), University of Washington (UW), Seattle, WA

• • Dissertation: Satellite remote sensing and computational modeling of sediment dynamics at relevant scales to watershed management

2008-2012: B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA

• • Capstone design project: Ship channel bypass, a spatial solution for flood risk reduction in Sacramento

Professional Licensing

2015-present: Registered Professional Civil Engineer, CA

Research & Professional Experience

Mar 2023-Present: Fellow, International Agriculture Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Arua, Uganda

• Part of inaugural fellows cohort focused on strengthening secondary school-based agriculture education, youth extension, and community engagement at St. Mary’s Ediofe Girls’ Secondary School (SMEGSS)

• Facilitating two weekly sessions on practical, project-based learning for Senior 1 and Senior 2 agriculture students at SMEGSS

• Initiated and advising the first Young Farmers’ Club at SMEGSS, which focuses on urban gardening, livestock management, entrepreneurship, leadership development, and community outreach

• Designed and facilitated a one-day agriculture teacher training workshop for seven secondary schools (16 participants) in Arua

• Volunteered with Caritas Hoima during 2-week school break, which involved co-facilitating farm planning training sessions and monitoring interviews with rural small-scale farmers in western Uganda

2020-2023: Postdoctoral Associate, Tropical Rivers Lab, Dept. of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL

• Co-lead an interdisciplinary assessment on the global importance and conservation priorities of the Amazon River Basin freshwater ecosystems 

• Coordinated virtual and in-person meetings as well as collaborative writing for 21 interdisciplinary scientists from multiple international institutions, resulting in eight reports and scientific journal articles 

• Assessed Amazon River Basin hydrology, geomorphology, and biogeochemistry data in support of freshwater conservation target development with a multifaceted scientific team 

As part of the Citizen Science Network for the Amazon, collaborated with international academic researchers as well as conservation NGO staff on community engagement projects

2022 : Associate Editor, Community Science, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

• Part of the inaugural board of editors for Community Science, a new peer-reviewed journal, as well as the Community Science Knowledge Exchange Platform, an online space for academics and community leaders and members to communicate share resources

2015-2020: Graduate Student Researcher, SASWE Research Group, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hydrology and Hydrodynamics, UW, Seattle, WA

• • Conducted capacity building with the Bangladesh Water Development Board in co-developing a web-based satellite monitoring tool for assessing river sediment conditions throughout Bangladesh

  • Evaluated the short- and long-term impacts of dams and landscape changes on river sediment concentrations in the Mekong River Basin using satellite remote sensing

  • Developed a computational model of watershed sediment dynamics for predicting reservoir sedimentation in the Elwha River Basin of Washington State

  • Collaborated with Nooksack Indian Tribe on field work and publication of air temperature analysis

2012-2015: Environmental engineering consultant, CH2M (now Jacobs), Oakland, CA

2011: Environmental engineering summer intern, CH2M (now Jacobs), Oakland, CA

• • Conducted environmental site investigation, remediation, and compliance consulting services to address soil, groundwater, and air pollutant conditions

  • Held a breadth of roles and responsibilities in project management, engineering design, data quality assurance/quality control, and fieldwork

  • Served various clients in the public and private sector, and worked on multiple large, high-profile projects

2010: Civil engineering summer intern, California Department of Transportation, Stockton, CA and Fresno, CA

• • Assisted with field work, engineering design, and reporting tasks for construction, hydraulics, and environmental divisions

Teaching & Mentoring Experience

Mar 2023-Present: Fellow, International Agriculture Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), Catholic Relief Services, Arua, Uganda

• Facilitating two weekly sessions on practical, project-based learning and co-teaching two weekly activity-based lessons for Senior 1 and Senior 2 agriculture students at SMEGSS

• Mentoring Young Farmers' Club leaders in the club's establishment and operations

2020-2023: Lab Student Mentor, FIU, Miami, FL: Tropical Rivers Lab, Prof. Elizabeth Anderson

• Along with three other postdocs, planning and leading monthly lab meetings for fifteen undergraduate and graduate students with diverse backgrounds and interdisciplinary research topics

• Closely mentoring six students in two lab focus groups on (1) Amazon River Basin and (2) rivers and equity

2020: Computing Helper, UW, Seattle, WA: NASA SWOT Early Adopter Virtual Hackathon, Prof. Faisal Hossain

• • Provided technical support for a week-long, end-user training on simulating data that will be collected by the future SWOT (earth-observing) satellite

  • Provided intensive, hands-on support for a single end-user facing technical challenges

2018-2020: Google Earth Engine Instructor, UW, Seattle, WA: WaterHackWeek and GeoHackWeek, eScience Institute 

• • Main instructor in 2020; Assistant instructor in 2018 and 2019

  • Delivered hands-on tutorials for ~40 scientists on using Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based computing system for conducting satellite remote sensing and geospatial analyses

2019-2020: Guest Lecture, UW, Bothell and Seattle, WA: Water, Drought, and the American West Course, Prof. Avery Cook Shinneman; Water Management Course, Prof. Faisal Hossain

• • Presented three 1-hour lectures to engineering (undergraduate and graduate) students about sediment research for water management and career development

2017: Co-Instructor, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA: Landlab Earth Surface Modeling Toolkit, Prof. Erkan Istanbulluoglu

• • 1-day Short Course, 25 participants

  • Assisted with developing course materials and providing hands-on training for earth surface processes numerical modeling tool

2017: Teaching Assistant, UW, Olympic Peninsula, WA: Sustainable Water in a Wet Region Course, Prof. Heidi Gough

• • Summer study abroad program, 2 weeks, 2 undergraduate students

  • Taught hydrology and geomorphology during a 1-hour classroom lecture, 3-hour river rafting trip, and 3-hour hiking trip

  • Developed quizzes and provided guidance for students on capstone project

2013-2015: Professional Mentor, CH2M (now Jacobs), Oakland, CA

• • Formally mentored a summer intern/entry-level engineer on their project work and professional development