Group

Dr. Yuki Miura is an assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Center for Urban Science and Progress at NYU Tandon. She is also a member of the faculty advisory board at the Volatility and Risk Institute at NYU Stern. She is a member of the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC5). Previously, she worked at Morgan Stanley in climate risk management and quantitative strategy. Her research is at the intersection of engineering, climate science, finance, and social sciences. She develops data-driven strategies to mitigate natural hazards and build resilient cities. By coupling advanced modeling with an in-depth understanding of socioeconomic factors, she provides actionable solutions for both public and private institutions.

Noelle Law is a member of the Climate, Energy, and Risk Analytics Lab and an incoming Mechanical Engineering and Urban Sciences PhD student. Her research focuses on generative AI and graph neural networks, specifically as it relates to generating physically realistic extreme event scenarios, such as storm surges. Previously she worked as a Machine Learning & Perception Engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and holds degrees in computer science and engineering. She is excited to contribute to the development of trustworthy and interpretable systems that enhance climate risk assessment and resilience. To see more details about her education, experience, and contact information, please consult her website!

Gwyneth Nolde is a Mechanical Engineering and Urban Sciences PhD student and a member of the CERA Lab. Her research focuses on using machine learning (ML) methods for flood defense strategy optimization, specifically working with reinforcement learning and graph convolutional neural networks. She is also exploring ML-based systems for flood modelling. Gwyneth completed an MSc in Data Science at King’s College London, where her master’s thesis focused on improving predictions of bike share demand in networks across London using a novel clustering approach. She also received her MRes and BSc (honours) from the University of St Andrews, and most recently worked at Macrobond Financial, a macroeconomic data and analysis provider in London, UK.

Matteo Benetti is an Environmental Engineer and a visiting PhD student at CERA Lab. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Brescia, where he also completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His specialization is in hydraulic engineering, and he has earned his professional qualification of Engineer. Matteo’s research focuses on the numerical modeling of urban flooding and the development of sustainable urban drainage systems. He has collaborated with water cycle management organizations in the Brescia area. His master’s thesis, titled “Analysis of the Surface Grain Size Distribution of the Blè Creek Using High-Resolution Drone Images,” was awarded in a project highlighting the territory of Valle Camonica.

Adam Nayak is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University and a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. As an affiliate of the Columbia Water Center and the Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) NSF Science and Technology Center, Adam is focused on dynamic hydroclimatic risk management and adaptation for human-water systems. Centered at the intersection of stochastic hydrology, machine learning, and risk assessment, Adam’s recent work investigates flood insurance system failures under pressures of spatiotemporally clustered hydrologic extremes. Adam received his BS and MS from Stanford University in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Management Science and Engineering, respectively.

Dr. Zihui Ma is a CUSP Faculty Fellow and a member of CERA Lab. She leverages AI-driven tools and big data to address challenges in natural hazards, urban resilience, and public health. Her research integrates social media analytics, geospatial analysis, and computational models to inform decision-making and optimize disaster response strategies. She currently leads projects on AI-driven resilience frameworks for hurricanes and cascading disasters like fire-induced landslides. Her work bridges AI, social sciences, and engineering, fostering collaborations across academia, government, and industry to enhance emergency response and urban planning. She holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and dual master’s degrees in Project Management and Structural/Seismic Engineering.

Dr. Saiful Haque Rahat is an Environmental Engineer and Climate Data Scientist who supports Fortune 500 companies in managing climate and water risks across sectors such as aviation, real estate, and data infrastructure. He is a visiting scholar at NYU and currently works at WSP, where he contributes to physical and transition risk analyses that help organizations prepare for a low-carbon economy. His past work includes contributions to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the World Bank, and NOAA on climate adaptation, flood risk, and resilience planning. Originally from Bangladesh, his research has been featured by PBS and the United Nations, with a focus on applying data-driven and community-informed approaches to global climate resilience.