Meeting roles in:
Street-Level Flood Model Validation through Community Science
River Stage Detection using Machine Learning and Image Segmentation for Flood Monitoring
J. Derek Loftis is an Assistant Professor working in the Center for Coastal Resources Management and the Virginia Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Dr. Loftis’ hydrodynamic modeling research at VIMS focuses on: (1) development of numerical simulations and flood forecasts for regions prone to flood damage, (2) validation of model accuracy using citizen science, remote sensing observations, and (3) engineering solutions to enhance adaptability to future flood events to protect human life and valuable infrastructural assets. Dr. Loftis teaches remote sensing and geographic information systems classes at the College of William & Mary, and he is the project lead and a developer of the hydrodynamic model used in the StormSense Project in the Greater Hampton Roads Region of Tidewater Virginia, an inundation forecasting research initiative to enhance emergency preparedness for flooding resulting from storm surge, rain, and tides.