Dr. Hapke has a Ph.D. in coastal geology and more than 25 years of experience studying coastal evolution and coastal change processes in a variety of geomorphic settings. Her studies have scaled from large regional assessments of historical coastal change, to barrier island response to extreme storm events, to forecasts of future behavior using statistical models.
With extensive experience overseeing and managing large projects, Dr. Hapke is known for her skill in communicating and coordinating across diverse groups of stakeholders and partners. She often serves as a technical advisor on coastal change to government agencies and international groups, and has briefed congressional committees on coastal science topics.
As co-lead investigator of a >10-year national assessment of coastal hazards on the East and West coasts of the U.S., Dr. Hapke contributed to advancements in the state of the science on coastal behavior and on identifying vulnerabilities along all open-ocean U.S. coasts. Her other endeavors include serving as a technical advisor to FEMA after Hurricane Sandy—providing coastal science expertise to multiple federal, state, and local agencies—and working with a team to develop a disaster recovery plan for the state of New York.
In addition to her project experience, Dr. Hapke serves as a research professor at the University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, where she develops and leads new research programs and teams. She is cofounder and coordinator of the Florida Coastal Mapping Program, a large-scale effort to facilitate modern, high-resolution mapping of Florida’s coastal waters, and involving numerous state and federal agencies.
Dr. Hapke regularly conducts peer reviews for the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface Processes, Marine Geology, Geomorphology, Continental Shelf Processes, and Coastal Engineering. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and contributed to numerous other publications.
Dr. Hapke is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. She can be reached at chapke@integral-corp.com.
Science and engineering firm Integral Consulting Inc. delivers strategies and insights that help our clients move forward in an evolving world. Click here for more information.
