Upcoming Events
W.A.T.E.R. at Mason Summer 2022 Seminar Series - Session 6
Jul 8, 2022, 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Potomac Science Center & Virtual
WATER (Watershed and Aquatic Teams for Education and Research) at Mason 2022 Summer Seminar Series
Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Professor and Dean of the College of Science at George Mason University
Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm is a hydrologist with expertise in modeling of surface and groundwater hydrology, physical, chemical and biological processes in aquatic ecosystems, climate-hydrology- interactions, climate change adaptation and mitigation approaches in the water, energy and food sectors. He currently serves as Professor and Dean of the College of Science at George Mason University in Virginia, and has appointments as Lead Scientist for Freshwater at The Nature Conservancy and Senior Research Advisor at NASA headquarters in Washington DC. Dr. Miralles-Wilhelm consults extensively with international organizations such as the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, engineering companies, financial institutions and non-governmental organizations. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (2009) and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (2002) and the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (2008). He has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. His work has been carried out in over 50 countries spanning North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela, a M.S. degree in Engineering from the University of California-Irvine, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Abstract: The vulnerability and resilience of water-controlled ecosystems are dependent on phenomena that link the cycling of water, nutrients and other biogeochemically active elements. Understanding the disturbances in these cycles that trigger impacts on ecosystem spatiotemporal characteristics is a challenge that generally transcends disciplinary and geographical boundaries, and is key to sustaining the diversity of life on Earth. The overarching scientific objective of this research is to develop a quantitative understanding of how hydrologically-controlled ecosystems are changing over time and space. The research questions posed seek the quantification of stocks and fluxes of water, nutrients and biomass as they couple and aggregate into the spatial and temporal organization and adaptation mechanisms of vegetation at the ecosystems level. The research agenda has a focus on the development of a spatiotemporal quantitative framework to study the interactions between coexisting vegetation species and the hydrologic cycle, and how these interactions aggregate from smaller scales, e.g., temporal: rainfall event; spatial: individual plants, to larger scales, e.g., temporal: seasonal/multiseasonal; spatial: ecosystem wide. The research methodology is based on a systems-level framework that combines high capability remote sensing satellite data reception and analysis with stochastic modeling techniques and field ecophysiological experiments, which aggregate physical, chemical and biological processes occurring at several spatial and temporal scales, quantifying biogeochemical stocks and fluxes as well as providing estimates of their uncertainty. The understanding gained from this research is expected to improve management, protection and restoration efforts in complex ecosystems.