Joanna C. Curran
Assistant Professor
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
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I am an Assistant Professor in the Environmental
and Water Resources Engineering group in the Civil and Environmental
Engineering Department at the My research is founded in environmental
engineering where there is application to today's river channel and watershed
management issues. Many of my interests have developed from the problems
associated with dam operation and removal, flushing flows, in-stream flow
requirements, land use within a watershed, and river restoration. Through my
research, I hope to find the physical rules and processes that affect river
function, river morphology, and watershed function. My goal is to enhance the state of knowledge
while providing tools for better decision making where interests of land
development and preservation compete. As watersheds and rivers are impacted
by urbanization and land use decisions, it is increasingly necessary to
examine the processes behind river morphology so that the implications of
management decisions can be predicted beforehand or mitigated afterward.
Through this knowledge, the natural and anthropogenic changes occurring in
watersheds can be better understood and separated. The fundamentals of sediment transport dynamics
are not yet fully understood. However, there are present day issues dependent
upon the results of gravel-bed river research, including river restoration,
logging effects on rivers, and the effects of urbanization in watersheds. In
my research, I employ a combination of computer, laboratory, and field
methods and technologies. The flume provides a controlled setting where
theories may be tested and models may be developed. A field research
component is necessary to bring these models into the real world. My research
group exists in an interdisciplinary environment, in which the students can
learn from each other. I welcome inquiries
from any outstanding students interested in fluvial geomorphology, regardless
of discipline. Details of some of my research projects can be found on the
Research page on this web site. |
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Joanna C. Curran Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering curran@virginia |
