HRC - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Emeritus Distinguished Professor, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Cameron Wang joined the Hydrologic Research Center as a Data Analysis Geoscientist in September 2022. Cameron received his B.S. in Geosciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego in June 2022, with research experience in seismology, volcanology, and computational statistics, and a minor in Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Studies. He is primarily involved in HRC's implementations of the Flash Flood Guidance (FFG) Systems, where his work most notably consists of analyzing and visualizing various precipitation data and developing procedures for the ingestion of these data into HRC's FFG Systems worldwide. Cameron's interests range from data analysis and scientific research to climate change, climate resilience, and sustainability. Cameron aims to support HRC's mission to affect positive change by bringing hydrologic research and operational systems closer together.

Job Titles:

• Chief
• Research Scientist
• Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Eylon Shamir is HRC's Senior Research Scientist, where he leads the Center's scientists in Research to Operation (R2O) tasks, development of new hydrological, meteorological, and climatological operational tools, and the research of pertinent scientific questions. Dr. Shamir joined HRC in October 2003. He specialized in various hydrometeorological topics such as the development of land-surface models for flood and flash flood warnings, water resources applications and management, snowpack assessment, and landslides warnings. He also specializes in hydrometeorlogical data from meteorological radars, remotely sensed satellite data, and in paleoclimate studies using tree-ring datasets. Another expertise of Eylon is the development of stochastic weather generators used for decision making and risk assessment. In recent years Eylon has been leading climate change impact assessment studies for water resources management and mining operations. Dr. Shamir obtained his B.Sc. degree in Plant Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1995 he moved to Tucson Arizona and got his Masters in Soil Water and Environmental Sciences. Following his graduation, Dr. Shamir joined the Department of Flood Control Pima County as a Hydrologist working on the flash flood warning system. He went back to the University of Arizona to pursue a doctoral degree in Hydrology and Water Resources. Over the years, Dr. Shamir has collaborated with scientists from various agencies and academic institutions and obtained research grants from the U.S National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, Israel-U.S.A. Binational Science foundation, Arizona Department of Water Resources, University of Arizona and others. Dr Shamir has published more than 40 scientific peer-reviewed journals, served on the editorial board of the Journal of Hydrology, mentored young scientists in various stages of their career (high school to post docs), served on various scientific advisory committees, and provided consultations on various hydrometeorological themes.

Job Titles:

• Senior Research Engineer
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Senior Research Engineer at the Hydrologic Research Center
• Senior Research Engineer Emeritus

Dr. Konstantine P. Georgakakos is a Senior Research Engineer at the Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) in San Diego, California, with topical emphasis in Hydrometeorology and Hydroclimatology as well as in Water Resources Planning and Management. He served as the Founding Director of the HRC in July 1993. He was the Managing Director of the HRC from July 1993 through September 2023. He is an Adjunct Professor with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego, and has served as an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of The University of Iowa. He has held positions of Research Scientist with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, of Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of The University of Iowa, of Research Engineer with the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research, and of Research Hydrologist with the Hydrologic Research Laboratory of the US National Weather Service. Dr. Georgakakos holds Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees from MIT. Honors and awards include the Presidential Young Investigator Award from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the John W. Orvel Water Resources Leadership Award from the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the Advisory Committee Climate Services Award from the California Department of Water Resources, the Faculty Scholar Award from The University of Iowa, and the NRC-NOAA Associateship Award from the U.S. National Research Council. He advised to completion of their degrees six Ph.D. students at The University of Iowa and four Ph.D. students at UCSD. Dr. Georgakakos is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the New York Academy of Sciences. He served as an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hydrology (2008-2017). He served as US Expert in Hydrologic Modeling for the World Meteorological Organization Commission for Hydrology (1997-2023). He has supervised several large-scale international science cooperation and technology transfer projects in Africa, Europe, Central and South America., and in Asia.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Dr. Norman Pelak joined HRC as a Hydroclimatologist in 2023. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama in 2013 and his M.S. (2016) and Ph.D. (2019) in Environmental Engineering from Duke University, where his research focused on the optimal management of soil and water resources in ecohydrological systems. He was a postdoctoral scholar in the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California-Merced from 2019 to 2023, where he studied changes in mountain hydrology under future climate scenarios, and also taught in the Applied Mathematics Department. His research interests and project involvement at HRC include evaluating the performance of seasonal-to-subseasonal forecast models, probabilistic forecasting, improving precipitation and impaired flow estimates, and assessing the impacts of climate change on heat waves and other extreme events.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Olufemi Osidele joined HRC in 2023. In his current role as Chief Executive Officer, he leads the overall strategic, research and operational functions at HRC. With more than 35 years of combined experience in engineering hydrology, information technology and banking operations, energy risk management and environmental policy, Dr. Osidele brings to HRC an interdisciplinary, systems-driven approach to resource planning and operations management as precursors to organizational success. He specializes in water resource and water quality management, integrated energy and environmental assessment, uncertainty and environmental risk analysis, decision-support systems, and stakeholder-science integration. Before joining HRC, Dr. Osidele was an independent consultant and regulatory advisor to private equity investors in the agriculture, water technology and renewable energy sectors of industry. Previously, he spent 12 years at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, where he rose to the position of Senior Research Engineer responsible for performance, safety, and environmental compliance assessments of various nuclear energy facilities for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Georgia, Dr. Osidele participated in collaborative research with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he developed uncertainty analysis methods for evaluating integrated risk assessment models to inform hazardous waste regulatory policy. In his early engineering career, Dr. Osidele conducted hydrological analyses, engineering designs, risk assessments and construction supervision for various dam, irrigation and water supply projects in drought-prone regions of Northern Nigeria. Dr. Osidele has volunteered his expertise in support of various technical and societal endeavors. He has published more than 15 peer-reviewed papers on hydrology and environmental modeling, integrated systems analysis, decision analysis and sustainable development. As a technical reviewer for the Austrian Climate Research Programme, he evaluated more than 20 grant proposals (valued at over 5 million Euros) from various European institutions on the human dimensions of climate change, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation to climate change impacts. He has also reviewed technical papers for several national and international journals and conferences. Dr. Osidele served for seven years as an expert advisor on EPA's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology, as Co-Chair of the citizens Steering Committee that developed the first climate action and adaptation plan for the City of San Antonio, Texas, and as San Antonio's mayoral appointee on the Rate Advisory Committee for the largest municipally-owned electricity and gas utility in the United States. Dr. Osidele holds a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria; Masters degrees in Hydrology from Imperial College, University of London and in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado; and a Doctorate in Forest Resources and Environmental Systems from the University of Georgia.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

In 2010, Dr. Rochelle Campbell joined HRC, bringing her expertise in hydrology, meteorology, disaster risk mitigation, and climatic variability. Rochelle has collaborated with stakeholders (e.g., meteorologists, hydrologists, disaster managers, and researchers) from the UK, New Zealand, Europe, Southern Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Central and North America to develop systematic strategies to identify, assess, and reduce the impact of extreme weather events in vulnerable communities. She has delivered public lectures, organized workshops, and hosted forums, reaching a broad spectrum of audiences, from the general public to experts in hydrology, meteorology, and disaster management. She co-created the Flash Flood Hydrometeorologist Training Program under the World Meteorological Organization, emphasizing the specific hydrological and meteorological factors that can lead to flash floods. Within HRC, Dr. Campbell leads the design and implementation of the international Weather Ready Nations (WRNs) program. This initiative aims to empower both National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services (NMHS) and National Disaster Management Agencies (NDMAs) in developing and communicating forecasts and warning information about risks to foster resilience in individuals, groups, and institutions in mobilization (wanting to act) and empowerment (knowing what to do).

Job Titles:

• Software Engineer
• Systems Administrator

Upon his graduation from The University of Iowa, earning a B.S. with Honors in Computer Science, Mr. Sperfslage joined HRC in June 1994, during its early beginnings. Since that time, he has collaborated with Center researchers and engineers to implement a variety of real-time operational forecast systems now hosted in various countries and regions throughout the world. Jason's primary contributions to these implementations are operational system design, real-time data acquisition and pre-processing, database and systems integration, process control, graphical post-processing, system automation and user interface development. Jason also serves as HRC's Manager of Information Technology (IT), responsible for systems- and network-related planning, procurement, installation, administration and maintenance. Most of all, Jason enjoys the mutual collaboration that is required to implement basic research for public benefit, as well as the dynamic challenges that are inherent to HRC's mission of technology transfer. While relying on the research, development and modeling expertise of HRC colleagues in that process, Jason adds a unique blend of Computer Science and Software Engineering to the Center's multi-disciplinary efforts. In 1999, HRC's Board of Directors awarded Jason with the Hydrologic Research Center Certificate of Achievement in recognition of outstanding service for HRC in the areas of software implementation and training. Jason is a member of the IEEE, the IEEE Computer Society and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).

Job Titles:

• Administrative Associate
• in 2023 As an Administrative Associate

Judy Brown joined HRC in 2023 as an administrative associate. She holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from California Lutheran University, a bachelor of science degree (BS) in Sociology from Oregon State University, and a certificate in Human Resources from Mira Costa College. She brings to the team many years of experience in nonprofit administration and leadership. Her primary responsibilities will be human resources, payroll, and administration support.

Job Titles:

• Financial Manager

Job Titles:

• Analyst
• Computer Programmer

Mr. Chad Messer joined the Hydrologic Research Center in July 2022 as a member of the Information Technology department, responsible for software systems development and administration. Chad obtained his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of San Diego in May 2022 with additional academic emphasis in Mathematics and Entrepreneurship. Since joining HRC, Chad has participated in the collaborative efforts of HRC researchers and engineers in the development and distribution of real-time operational decision support systems. His current emphasis is to learn and help adapt HRC systems to new technologies while sustaining the same level of reliability that HRC is known for. His goals for the future are to focus on backend development and help the team with its ongoing development of all systems.

Job Titles:

• Analyst
• Computer Programmer

Mr. Cristopher Spencer joined HRC in March 2007 as a member of the Information Technology department, responsible for software systems development and administration. Cristopher obtained his B.S. with Honors in Computer Science from California State University San Marcos in May 2006 with additional academic emphasis in Mathematics and Physics. Since joining the Hydrologic Research Center, Cristopher has participated in the collaborative efforts HRC researchers and engineers in the development and distribution of real-time operational decision support systems. His primary contributions to the development of these systems is in the areas of system design, implementation and administration as well as ongoing end-user training and support.

Job Titles:

• Analyst
• Computer Programmer

Mr. Randall Banks joined HRC as a Computer Programmer / Analyst in April of 2016. He received his B.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from John Muir College of the University of California, San Diego in December of 2015. Since joining HRC, Randall has designed and developed software to facilitate the use of scientific models developed by HRC researchers, as well as standalone applications used to simplify the management of in-house resources. Working from the back-end to the front, Randall is consistently honing his skills as a full-stack developer and leveraging new technologies to improve the ease-of-use, scalability, portability, and performance of both new and existing HRC systems.

Job Titles:

• Decision Support Social Scientist
• Social Scientist for the Weather Ready Nations

Mrs. Kayla Gorman joined HRC in 2023 as the social scientist for the Weather Ready Nations (WRNs) project. Her primary interests involve developing and implementing solutions that work for multiple stakeholder groups. Kayla's background covers a wide variety of topics, including environmental science, geography, climate change, social science methods, and interdisciplinary research. She also currently lectures for the Geography Department at San Diego State University (SDSU). Prior to HRC, Kayla received her bachelors from University of California, Santa Barbara and her masters from SDSU. During this time, she worked on several research projects focusing on adaptation and mitigation of climate change, agroforestry, ecotourism, and natural disaster impacts on communities. Kayla's primary role at HRC is the contribution to the WRNs project through research, reports, and participation in workshops. The WRNs program is a multi-hazard impact based forecasting and early warning approach to build capacity at National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services (NMHS) and National Disaster Management Agencies (NDMAs). Kayla works closely with these stakeholder groups to aid in capacity building efforts that support effective disaster management.

Job Titles:

• Project Administrative Assistant

Ms. Camila Santucci joined HRC in August 2023 as a Project Administrative Assistant. She obtained her Secretarial Studies degree in Brazil and graduated with Honors in Animal Technology Studies from the San Diego Mesa College in 2005. With over twenty years of experience in administrative support, customer service, research, and regulatory compliance, her career spans across the private, academic, and government sectors. Her career journey is characterized by a keen understanding of cultural diversity and dedication to collaboration. Camila's professional achievements are marked by her active contribution to research studies and publications on critical health issues, including HIV, Melanoma, Lymphoma, Malaria, Brain Ischemia, Spinal Cord Injury, and ALS. In addition, she has collaborated with Land Use & Environment and Finance groups within the government sector.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director, Ban and Associates, LLC

Job Titles:

• Professor, College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University

Job Titles:

• RKH Consulting Services

Job Titles:

• Technical

Job Titles:

• Chief Operating Officer
• Chief Operating Officer / Hydrologic Engineer

Dr. Modrick Hansen became HRC's Chief Operating Officer in October 2023. As such, she leads the team of HRC scientists, engineers and developers on projects leading to the implementation of HRC-developed operational systems, including the Flash Flood Guidance Systems with Global Coverage (FFGS/WGC) program, a partnership with USAID, US NOAA, and WMO. Dr. Modrick Hansen brings to the position her experience in scientific research, hydrologic modeling, NWP modeling, data analysis, and system development for programs such as FFGS, the California Integrated Forecast and Reservoir Management (INFORM,) and others over 25+ years at HRC, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to HRC. Dr. Modrick Hansen primary interests have been in hydrologic modeling, characterization of the impacts of uncertainty in hydrologic simulations and forecasts (particular on small spatial scales), climate change impacts on hydrologic processes and local/regional climatologies, and precipitation modeling and forecast uncertainty. Her interests also includes implementing effective training and education programs as part of HRC's operational system implementations. She has been highly involved in HRC's training activities as co-coordinator and instructor in various trainings. Dr. Modrick Hansen received her B.S.E. (1991) and M.S. (1993) degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Iowa, and her Ph.D. in 2011 from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. Her doctoral research focused on climatic variability of small-scale flooding and potential changes to flash flood occurrence in Southern California under future climate.

Job Titles:

• Hydraulic Engineer