CLIMATE WEEK NYC 2024 + LEAP
A Special LEAP Lecture in Climate Data Science
** PLEASE NOTE: there is a waitlist for in-person attendance.
In the alternative, you may select VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE tickets to participate via Zoom. **
As part of Climate Week at Columbia Engineering, LEAP presents “CLIMATE CHANGE AND FLOOD RISK: An Interactive Panel + Discussion.”
- Thursday, September 26, 2024
- 12:00 – 2:00 pm
- Tang Family Hall at the Columbia Engineering Innovation Hub and via Zoom
Panelists:
- George Deodatis (Vice Dean of Research for Columbia Engineering, Santiago and Robertina Calatrava Family Professor of Civil Engineering and Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University)
- Candace Agonafir (Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia Water Center)
- Fatoumata Camara (SP^2 Science Pathways Scholar, Barnard College)
- Adam Nayak (PhD Student, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University)
Panel facilitated by:
- Savannah Thais (Associate Research Scientist, Data Science Institute, Columbia University)
Engage with our panelists, who will explore the flood risks incurred by climate change, and discuss how modeling can support communities’ efforts to adapt to climate change and how flood risk models are being improved.
During the workshop, participants will:
- Learn about climate data and modeling, with a focus on flood risks;
- Have the opportunity to ask questions to Columbia University flood risk experts;
- Contribute ideas for how climate models can address their needs.
The workshop is an open event and will include a light lunch for participants.
In-person space is limited.
Panelists
George Deodatis uses probabilistic methods and uncertainty quantification for the study of civil infrastructure systems subjected to natural and technological hazards. He conducts research to determine the safety and reliability of structures and to perform risk assessment and risk management of structural systems. He also studies the effects of climate change and extreme weather on the civil infrastructure with the goal of establishing adaptation and mitigation strategies. Much of his research is based on introducing novel techniques for simulation of stochastic processes and fields to model uncertain earthquake, wind, and wave loads, as well as material and soil properties, for applications in earthquake engineering, offshore engineering, wind engineering, environmental engineering, materials science, atmospheric science, oceanography, finance, and other fields.
Deodatis received a five-year Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1982. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from Columbia University, received in 1984 and 1987, respectively. He started his academic career at Princeton University where he served as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor (with tenure). He moved to Columbia University in 2002 where he served as Associate Professor and Professor, before becoming the Santiago and Robertina Calatrava Family Professor in 2007. He served as the Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from 2013 to 2019. Since 2022, he also holds a joint appointment as Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering. He currently serves as the Vice Dean for Research in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
In 2009, Deodatis was elected President of the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability for a 4-year term. In 2017, he was elected President of the Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for a 2-year term. His many honors and awards include the ASCE Alfred M. Freudenthal Medal in 2024, election as Distinguished Member of ASCE in 2023, election as Fellow of the Engineering Mechanics Institute of ASCE in 2014, the Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates in 2011, Columbia University’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2009, the ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize in 1998, the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability Junior Research Prize in 1997, Princeton University’s Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1995, and the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award in 1992.
Candace Agonafir has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the CUNY, a M.S. in Industrial Engineering from NYU, and a B.S. in Physical Science with a concentration in Physics and a minor in Catholic Theology from St. John’s University. Her past research involved utilizing regression and machine learning methodologies to provide invaluable information towards advancements in urban flooding detection, prediction and prevention. Ultimately, by the continuous adoption of improved and contemporary machine learning techniques, she aims to become an established, impactful, and consistent contributor within the field of civil engineering water resources via Artificial Intelligence.
Fatoumata Camara is currently a Senior at Barnard College of Columbia University, studying to be a Computer Science major. She is in the SP^2 (Science Pathways Scholars Program) at Barnard, a selective four-year program for underrepresented groups interested in majoring in the sciences.
She currently works at Barnard’s IT department as a Senior Academic Computing Expert and at Engineering Tomorrow as a College Mentor. In the summer leading to her sophomore year, she participated in the LEAP REU program, specifically working in the project, “Warm Rain Microphysics Emulation.” Following this, she continued with the research at LEAP, but switched gears to the project “Visualizing Flood Impacts for NYC Neighborhoods.”
She aspires to join Computer Science and Environmental Science to slow down the process of climate change through the use of technology.
Adam Nayak is a second year PhD Student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering and an affiliate of the Columbia Water Center. Their research is centered at the intersection of machine learning, climate adaptation, and equitable risk management under cascading natural-human uncertainty. With specific interests in socio-environmental models and stochastic hydrology, Adam investigates sustainable and just solutions for hydroclimate resilience. Adam received their BS and MS from Stanford University in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Management Science and Engineering respectively.
Savannah Thais is an Associate Research Scientist in the Data Science Institute with a focus on machine learning (ML). She is interested in complex system modeling and in understanding what types of information is measurable or modelable and what impacts designing and performing measurements have on systems and societies. This work is informed by her background in high energy particle physics and incorporates traditional scientific experiment design components such as uncertainty quantification, experimental blinding, and decorrelation/de-biasing methods. Her recent work has focused on geometric deep learning, methods to incorporate physics-based inductive biases into ML models, regulation of emerging technology, social determinants of health, and community education.
Dr. Thais is the founder and Research Director of Community Insight and Impact, an non-profit organization focused on data-driven community needs assessments for vulnerable populations and effective resource allocation. She is passionate about the impacts of science and technology on society and is a strong advocate for improving access to scientific education and literacy, community centered technology development, and equitable data practices. She was the ML Knowledge Convener for the CMS Experiment from 2020-2022, currently serves on the Executive Board of Women in Machine Learning and the Executive Committee of the APS Group on Data Science, and is a Founding Editor of the Springer AI Ethics journal.
Dr. Thais received her PhD in Physics from Yale University in 2019 and was a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University from 2019-2022.