Storm surges, tsunamis and other extreme hydrodynamic events are becoming more prevalent as global climate trends shift, rendering shorelines increasingly vulnerable to erosion and putting coastal communities at a greater risk. Existing methods of assessing the climate resilience of coastal structures have been criticized for being outdated. Professor Moutsanidis’ research seeks to remedy this by developing advanced computational models to simulate how coastal structures are affected by extreme hydrodynamic events. The new algorithms and software will be used to inform designers on procedures for fortifying existing structures and improving design standards.
“We are extremely happy that Prof Moutsanidis’ research has been selected for such a prestigious award, as it reflects the importance of the research problem and his promise as a scholar and an educator,” said Professor Rigoberto Burgueño who is Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. “Climate change is leading to increased frequency, duration, and intensity of weather events, and along with-it increased risk on coastal infrastructure from storm surges. Prof Moutsanidis’ novel computational approaches will enhance the ability of engineers to determine the effects of extreme loads from waves and coastal surges so that we may better prepare our current and future built infrastructure for the effects of future climate conditions,” he added.
In addition to bolstering coastal climate resilience, Professor Moutsanidis’ study looks to raise awareness of climate change within the computational science community and potentially impact a variety of fields concerned with fluid-structure interaction. His work also includes education and outreach initiatives designed to enhance climate resilience curriculums at the high school level and beyond.
Professor Moutsanidis joined Stony Brook’s Department of Civil Engineering in January of 2020 and teaches upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as holding affiliate faculty status at the university’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science. Prior to joining Stony Brook, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Engineering at Brown University and a Visiting Researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He earned a Ph.D. in Structural Engineering and Computational Science, University of California at San Diego; an MS in Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin; and a Diploma in Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
