Welcome to my research website. Its primary purpose is to allow a visitor to get a quick overview of my career and to get access to my on-going and current research. In addition, it provides access to the research of my most current students and some of the students that have recently graduated.
Below you will find a short description of some career activities and highlights. You can see the students that I am currently and have recently supported, and what they are working on, in the “Graduate Students and Post-Doc” tab, and an overview of some projects in the “Current” and “Past” Projects tab. My phone and email contact is at the bottom of this page.
I am currently Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I also serve as the University Director of the Northeast Climate Science Center. I have been at UMass from the last 8 years and was a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle from 1979 to 2008.
My primary research area of interest is in evaluating the impacts of climate change on water resources (broadly defined). This includes drought planning, real-time water resource management, and the application of decision support to civil engineering management problems. In all cases, I attempt to apply structured planning approaches. I helped develop the field of “shared vision modeling” in water resources planning and pioneered the use of “virtual drought exercises.”
I received my Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University in 1979, his Master’s of Science in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in 1973 and my undergraduate Civil Engineering from Lamar University. During my Ph.D. research I was a member of a team at Johns Hopkins University and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin recognized as a finalist by ASCE for Engineering Achievement of the Year in 1983. I received the Best Practice-Oriented Paper of the Year in the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management by the ASCE in 1989. I was awarded the Huber Award for Research Excellence by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 1992. This honor was based upon my innovative application of simulation and optimization techniques to issues in water resource management. I was awarded the “Certificate of Recognition” for my editorial services to the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management of ASCE in 1997. I received the “Service to the Profession” Award from the Water Resources Planning and Management Division of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 1998. In 2006, I received from ASCE the Julian Hinds Award for my contributions to water resources planning and my research related to the impacts of climate change on water resources. In 2014, I was elected as a “Fellow” by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
I currently have research funding from the Department of Interior, NOAA, the Nature Conservancy, Water Research Foundation, and a variety of public utilities. I am active in ASCE’s Environmental and Water Resources Institute and was the Technical Chairman of one of their recent national congresses (2010).
I am married and the father of three college graduates (yea!). I am a music enthusiast in all its form, and particularly interested in jazz. I practice on an old saxophone often but play poorly.
The picture above shows me on the left, and Charles Lloyd, a world famous jazz musician, in the center. Charles had just finished a performance at UMass, and the night before had eaten dinner, along with his band, at my home.
Below is some for basic information about me, and my entire resume is posted on my university website.
Education
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1979.
M.S., Stanford University, 1973.
B.S., Lamar University, 1972.
Registration
Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Washington, #21154
Professional Experience
- Professor and Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, March 2008 – Present
- Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 1990-2008
- Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 1985-1990
- Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 1979-1985