My name is Jack Puleo. I was born and raised in southern California. Fishing trips during my childhood combined with surfing from junior high on raised my interest in coastal processes. I attended Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA earning a double major in Oceanography and Mathematics (1996). There, I became interested in beach processes, specifically sediment transport and morphodynamics. I furthered my education earning a Master’s in Oceanography from Oregon State University (1998). I joined the Littoral Dynamics Team at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) at Stennis Space Center, MS shortly after. I worked as a Research Oceanographer on topics with naval application and largely focused around remote sensing of nearshore environments. I decided I wanted to pursue a PhD a few years into my tenure at NRL and began a program (remotely) in 2000 at the University of Florida. I earned the PhD in 2004 and shortly after was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Center for Applied Coastal Research at the University of Delaware. I am currently a Professor and Chair in teh Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My primary research interests are still focused around sediment transport in nearshore environments but I also undertake other research projects including those concerning inlets, remote sensing of coastal and riverine processes, wetlands, object motion on beaches and beach safety. I enjoy teaching relevant courses, working with undergraduate and graduate students, outreach and providing opportunities for young researchers and early career professionals. I have won 3 excellence in teaching awards and 1 excellence in advising award, selected for an NSF CAREER award, and was selected as a Fulbright scholar to the United Kingdom (2011-2012). I currently teach undergraduate Fluid Mechanics and Advanced Fluid Mechanics. I teach Coastal Processes and Matlab for Engineering Analysis at the graduate level. My lab maintains several portable wave flumes that we use for education outreach events to the public and in local schools. I am active in service at the local, national and international levels including being the lead organizer for the 1st (2004) and 2nd (2014) International Workshop on Swash Zone Processes and the Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conferences (started in 2014). In my free time (what little there is) I enjoy being/traveling, working out, and being in the outdoors.
My full CV can be found here