Our Team
The interdisciplinary N-EWN team includes over 30 researchers with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, environmental sciences, social sciences, economics, landscape architecture, communication and public policy and law.
Leadership
Brian Bledsoe
Director of IRIS and College of Engineering Professor with the University of Georgia
Specialties: Hydrology, hydraulics and fluvial geomorphology, infrastructure sustainability and resilience, ecological engineering and ecosystem restoration, stormwater and floodplain management
Todd Bridges
US Army Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Engineering of sustainable infrastructure development, risk and decision analysis methods, management of sediment and environmental contaminants
Jeff King
EWN Deputy National Lead, Research Environmental Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Design and application of nature-based features, promoting landscape architecture concepts, fostering collaborative partnerships
Researchers
Safra Altman
Research Ecologist with the Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Coastal systems ecology, marine bioinvasions, data integration, management and statistical analysis, natural infrastructure, dune management
Matthew Bilskie
Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering, University of Georgia
Specialties: Hurricane storm surge modeling for present and future conditions, real-time flood inundation forecasting, and natural infrastructure implementation and assessment
Jeb Byers
Professor in the Odum School of Ecology
Specialties: invasive species, ecosystem engineers, ecological parasitology, species range boundaries, phyiscal-biological coupling
John Calabria
Associate Professor, College of Environment and Design, University of Georgia
Specialties: Ecological enhancement and restoration in the human context
Catie Dillon
Research Hydraulic Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Numerical wave modeling, wave attenuation for wetland restoration, coastal flood risk
Susana Ferreira
Associate Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Georgia
Specialties: Economics of natural disasters, environmental valuation, environmental determinants of well-being
Sam Fielding
Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Environmental economics, non-market valuation, coastal policy, flood insurance, natural infrastructure
Joe Gailani
Research Hydraulic Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Cohesive sediment processes, sediment transport modeling, beneficial use of dredged material
Chris Haring
Research Physical Scientist, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, river engineering, watershed assessments and restoration
Rhett Jackson
John Porter Stevens Distinguished Professor of Water Resources, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia
Specialties: Physical, chemical, and biological stream responses to non-point source pollution
Shana Jones
Public Service Faculty, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Specialties: Coastal and environmental law
Darixa Hernandez-Abrams
Research Ecologist, ERDC-EL
Specialties: Tropical stream ecology, stream restoration, ecological modeling and water resource management
Rod Lammers
Assistant Professor, Central Michigan University
Specialties: Hydrology and hydraulics, sediment transport, water quality, numerical modeling
Craig Landry
Professor, Natural Resource Economics, University of Georgia
Specialties: Natural resource management, non-market valuation, experimental economics, coastal erosion
Brian McFall
Research Civil Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Wave mechanics, beneficial use of dredged sediment
Kyle McKay
Research Civil Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Integrated water resource management, ecological model development, watershed restoration
Don Nelson
Associate Professor, Anthropology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia
Specialties: Governance , risk and vulnerability assessments, mental models, disaster mitigation and recovery
Nate Nibbelink
Professor, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia
Specialties: Landscape-level decision-support, landscape ecology, GIS, species habitat modeling
Candice Piercy
Research Environmental Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Coastal wetland dynamics, modeling hydrodynamic and ecological interactions
Scott Pippin
Public Service Faculty, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Specialties: Law, policy, planning, urban design
Mark Risse
Director, Georgia Sea Grant, University of Georgia
Specialties: Non-point source pollution control, ecological engineering, living shorelines, community engagement
Amy Rosemond
Professor of Ecology, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia
Specialties: Freshwater ecosystem structure and function, effects of global change stressors on rates and fates of nutrients and carbon in streams
Tosin Sekoni
Research Ecologist, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Vegetation ecology, using plant communities and natural features in engineering practices
Marshall Shepherd
Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, Director, Atmospheric Science Program, University of Georgia
Specialties: Meteorology, climatology, remote sensing
Dave Smith
Ecologist, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Ecohydraulics, fish movement modeling, engineering design support
Burton Suedel
Research Biologist, Dredging Operations Technical Support (DOTS) Program Manager, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Dredging effects on the environment
Todd Swannack
Integrated Ecological Modeling, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Ecosystem modeling, integrating ecological and engineering approaches across scales
Amanda Tritinger
Hydraulics Research Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers
Specialties: Oceanographic engineering and hydrodynamic modeling
Meredith Welch Divine
Interim Associate Dean, Graduate School, University of Georgia
Specialties: Climate change adaption, impacts of sea level rise on coastal communities, conservation policy
Seth Wenger
Professor, Odum School of Ecology, Director of the River Basin Center, University of Georgia
Specialties: Freshwater ecology, conservation biology and modeling
Brock Woodson
Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia
Specialties: Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Coastal Sustainability and Resilience
Post-Doctoral Researchers
Jonathan Hallemeier
ORISE Research Fellow, USACE Environmental Lab
Contact:
jhalleme@uga.edu
Charles Van Rees
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
charles.vanrees@uga.edu
Andressa Vianna Mansur
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
andressa.viannamansur@uga.edu
Matthew Shudtz
Law and Policy Fellow, University of Georgia
Contact:
mshudtz@uga.edu
John Ogbeleakhu Aliu
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
john.aliu@uga.edu
Janaki M
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
janaki.m@uga.edu
Liya Abera
Post-doctoral research associate, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Contact:
liya.eshetu.abera@gmail.com
Suman Jumani
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
sumanjumani@gmail.com
Dan Coleman
Post-doctoral research associate, University of Georgia
Contact:
daniel.coleman@uga.edu
Staff
Gin Talati Bacon
Director of Operations, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, University of Georgia
Contact:
vbtalati@uga.edu
Anouk Savineau
Senior Water Resources Engineer, LimnoTech
Contact:
asavineau@limno.com
Sarah Buckleitner
Communications Coordinator, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, University of Georgia
Contact: sarah.buckleitner@uga.edu
Courtney Chambers
Communications Lead, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Contact: Coutney.e.chambers@usace.army.mil