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My name is Temitope Idowu. I was born and raised in Southwest, Nigeria where I had my formal education up to the tertiary level, graduating with a BEng. in Civil Engineering in 2012 from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. I grew up with an affinity for the ocean and coastal communities but the first major experience that inspired the drive to carve a niche in coastal engineering was my participation at a leadership training program in 2009 called – Sea school. At the training site, which is located off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Apapa, Lagos Nigeria, I became more curious about the realities and challenges of coastal communities and the possible roles I could play in addressing these challenges in the future. In the ensuing years, I developed a passion for coastal research while practicing as an Engineer for a couple of years in the industry. In 2015, I became the recipient of the African Union-sponsored Pan African University scholarship award to pursue a 2-year research-based MSc in Civil & Environmental Engineering where my research focused on coastal groundwater pollution. Over the years, my research engagements have spanned across two coastal cities – Mombasa Kenya and Lagos Nigeria in eastern and western Africa, respectively. I recently defended my PhD work on munitions mobility and burial. When I am not reading, writing, or conducting research, you’ll likely find me engaging in quality conversations or bonding activities with family and friends, or deeply engrossed in my second passion – Photography. Fewer activities give me greater satisfaction than taking nature walks with or without company, observing the sunset, and occasionally having my DSLR camera slung on my shoulder, ready to take pictures that blow your mind away. |
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My name is Ahmed Elkut. I was born and raised in a small town near the beautiful city of Alexandria, Egypt. I moved to Alexandria City, where I obtained my B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physical Oceanography in 2008 from the University of Alexandria, Faculty of Science. I became fascinated with the coastal environment, and in 2010, I started working at Coastal Research Institute (CoRI) where I was able to carry out fieldwork and work on different coastal problems. I participated as a co-PI in more than 15 projects, mostly aimed at coastal protection, beach restoration, temperature and salinity dispersion, and the establishment of efficient coastal structure design criteria.
Parallel to my work, I started working on my M.Sc. in 2010, where I was able to evaluate the potential risks associated with different sea level rise scenarios and storm surges in the Nile Delta coastal zone, Egypt, using GIS. I have been able to delineate the potential areas susceptible to inundation and establish a risk map considering different physical and socio-economic parameters. After getting my M.Sc. degree in 2015, I started working on my Ph.D., where I focused on wave and morphodynamic modeling to establish long-term natural-based protection of coastal areas. I was able to develop and optimize a 20-year morphodynamic simulation, using Delft3d, for the evaluation of long-term coastal protections. In addition, I developed a 31-year wave atlas in the Mediterranean Sea using the SWAN model that is used for developing small-scale wave models and obtaining the design wave heights along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. Currently, I am expanding my working experience by gaining new insights in coastal and ocean engineering. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware (UD), I am working on extreme weather events modeling (e.g., hurricanes and Nor’easters) and how they can influence the Total Water Level (TWL) and storm surge. In addition, I will work with my team on the evaluation of the potential coastal and compound flooding associated with such extreme events. We will be able to quantify the different components of the total water level. Furthermore, we will be able to evaluate the response of hurricanes to different perturbations, such as meteorological forcing, track change, and climate change-related impacts. My research interests include climate change adaptation; hydrodynamic and wave modeling; coastal and compound flood modeling; morphological modeling; and vulnerability & risk assessment of coastal zones. I also enjoy assisting and coaching graduate students. In my free time, I enjoy spending time reading, cooking/ baking, or watching a movie over a cup of tea. |
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My name is Alexandra Schueller and I moved from Germany to Newark, Delaware at the end of 2022. Water and environmental management have fascinated and inspired me throughout my life. Naturally, they became the content of my interdisciplinary studies, work experience, teaching, and research. Water is my passion, running consistently through my professional career. Because of its diversity, I completed two master’s degrees (Civil Engineering & Environmental Sciences) and a 2-year trainee program in German and European environmental administrations, graduating as a Technical Assessor (state exam) in water management. I also recently obtained my doctorate in civil and hydraulic engineering (Dr.-Ing.) in flood emergency management at the Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Germany. Parallel to my education, I have worked full-time as a civil engineer and manager since 2012 at a German environmental agency and lectured part-time since 2015 at various German universities. Now I am expanding my experience internationally by gaining insight into American water and coastal engineering. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware (UD), I will help design and conduct wave basin studies to quantify hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes from oblique-wave-driven swash. Furthermore, I will conduct numerical simulations to extend the parameter space of the laboratory. With my new job, I am pleased to be able to tie in with the content of my master’s degree in civil, environmental, and coastal engineering at Leibniz University Hannover (Germany), as well as my master’s thesis on sediment transport/passability in streams. |
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My name is Zaid Alhusban. I was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. I earned my PhD in civil engineering from the University of Glasgow in 2021. The title of my dissertation is “Investigation of sediment transport processes due to geophysical flows”, where I used a laboratory water flume with different setups and instruments (acoustic velocity profilers and particle image velocimetry) to study the dynamics of sediment transport. At the University of Koblenz-Landau, I have recently done experiments on the physics of plastic transport in the fluvial environment. I have a lot of interest and enthusiasm for the topics related to “coastal engineering,” as they cover a variety of study fields such as sediment transport, numerical methods, water wave mechanics, coastal hydrodynamics, nearshore processes, and coastal hazards. I was therefore very eager to join Dr. Puleo’s study team because of his past and present research endeavors. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware (UD), I will conduct numerical experiments associated with hybrid shoreline protection mechanisms. The numerical experiments will assist project researchers in identifying the suitability of hybrid protection mechanisms at various locations in the mid-Atlantic region and the expected morphological response. I also enjoy assisting and coaching graduate students. When I am not working, I like reading, cooking, and doing random fitness exercises. |
Past
 My name is Chris Lashley. I was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados. As an islander, the coast has always been an important aspect of my life, providing not only recreation but also vital services like fisheries, tourism and trade by sea. However, as a child I was also introduced to the threat of the sea by the local proverb, “de sea ain’t got nuh back door”, which warned beachgoers that the sea can be very dangerous. This awareness of both the advantages and dangers of living along the coast sparked my interest and commitment to ensuring coastal safety.
This passion led me to the Netherlands to pursue a Master’s in Coastal Engineering & Port Development at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (2017) and then a PhD in Hydraulic Engineering at Delft University of Technology (2021). My PhD research focused on the influence of shallow foreshores—such as marshes or mudflats—on coastal safety. The tools and methods developed during that research offer practical guidance for the design and assessment of coastal structures under very shallow conditions. Now as a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Delaware (UD), I use state-of-the-art numerical and empirical tools to estimate the likelihood of coastal flooding along varying sites in the U.S. during storms—with the ultimate goal of identifying a best practice at each location. My research interests include: building with nature; disaster risk reduction; climate change adaptation; nearshore wave modelling; surf and swash zone processes; and the design of coastal structures. I also enjoy assisting and coaching graduate students, having sat on several graduation committees. With respect to teaching experience, I have previously developed and taught Project Management as a course for professional development. Outside of the office, you can find me in the gym, playing basketball, woodworking or enjoying a good beer. If you share similar research (or non-research) related interests, feel free to come by my office. I’m always up for a chat over coffee or beer. |
 My name is Manoj Kumar Gangadharan. I was born and raised in Kerala, India. Kerala is a small state nestled along the southwestern side of India. We have a super extensive coastline, plains and high mountains that border the eastern state boundary. We also have 44 rivers, of which 41 flows directly into the Arabian sea.
After my Bachelor’s, I was offered an opportunity to study Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras. So, I packed my bags and moved to Chennai, a super large metropolis on the Southeast coast of India. With an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, picking up the basics of ocean engineering was hard. All thanks to my supervisor, I was able to pick up. For someone whose hamlet has 12 rivers and a 70 Km long coastline, I could relate to many things. We had experienced the good and evil the sea has to offer. The lessons on storm surge, coastal erosion, sandbar formation and tsunamis were like reliving experiences. So, curiosity gave way to an affinity resulting in extending my Masters thesis into the doctoral program. I studied the nature and propagation characteristics of different wave groups and their impact on coastal and offshore structures. As they say, there’s always more to learn. And here I am, halfway across the globe in Newark, Delaware. Incidentally, also close to the sea :). As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware, I am currently attached to the SERDP project that explores the end state of UneXploded Ordinances (UXOs) in the SWASH zones. My research focuses on understanding how wave forcing and sediment movement influence the final fate. When I am not working, I like to spend time outdoors, either hiking or cycling or kayaking or cooking or eating. |
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