Biography

Dr. Jeffrey Niemann is the Faoro Professor of Water Resources in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He earned a B.S. with High Distinction from the University of Colorado at Boulder and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Niemann's research interests are in hydrology and geomorphology. His research has included: analyzing and downscaling soil moisture patterns, modeling the hydrologic response of urban and natural basins, characterizing river network properties, estimating uncertainty in sediment transport models, modeling snowpack and frozen ground, forecasting landslide and debris flow occurrence, developing methods for flood inundation mapping, evaluating evapotranspiration from shallow groundwater, modeling long-term river basin evolution, and assessing climate change impacts on regional hydrology. Dr. Niemann was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers at the White House in 2002 and was appointed the Borland Chair of Hydrology in 2010 and 2019. He received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Performance from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2019. In 2007, 2011, and 2016, Dr. Niemann was honored with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Niemann coordinates the Water and International Development (WAID) program. He has also contributed to several projects to improve the drinking water and sanitation systems for rural communities in El Salvador, Belize, Gabon, Guatemala, Kenya, and elsewhere. In 2011, Dr. Niemann was honored with the George T. Abell Award for Outstanding International Contributions and the President's Volunteer Service Award.