Innovating & Research in Hydrology: How Dr. Francesco Dell'Aira Earned the Dorothy
Arata Academic Excellence Award
Dr. Francesco Dell'Aira, originally from the historic coastal city of Siracusa, Sicily,
has been selected as the recipient of UMAR's prestigious Dorothy Arata Academic Excellence
Award, an honor recognizing the best dissertation of the year. Currently serving as
a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of
Memphis, Dr. Dell'Aira recently completed his PhD in Engineering in August 2024 from the Universit. Before joining the UofM Graduate School, he earned
a Master’s degree in Water and Transportation Civil Engineering from the University
of Catania in Italy. Dr. Dell'Aira’s journey from Sicily to Memphis reflects his dedication
to academic excellence and his passion for advancing the field of civil engineering.
The Journey to Hydrology
Dr. Francesco Dell’Aira’s academic journey into hydrology began while working on his Master’s dissertation, which focused on optimizing water distribution infrastructure. His passion for the field was ignited further when he learned about the opportunity to work on a TDOT-funded project concerning urban flooding at the University of Memphis (UofM). This exposure deepened his understanding of water resources engineering and solidified his decision to pursue a PhD at UofM, concentrating on engineering hydrology. Dr. Dell’Aira is captivated by the complexities of hydrology, calling it one of the most compelling fields in water resources engineering.
Research Focus: Enhancing Urban Resilience to Flooding
Dr. Francesco Dell'Aira’s current research encompasses a range of innovative approaches in the field of hydrology, aimed at improving flood prediction and mitigation in urban areas. His work focuses on urban flood mitigation, regionalization methods for more accurate flood prediction, and the development of novel methodologies to implement green stormwater infrastructure effectively. By leveraging large-scale hydrologic datasets, he seeks to deepen the understanding of watershed-scale hydrologic processes. A key aspect of his research involves developing connectivity-based descriptors that capture the spatial heterogeneity of watersheds, allowing for better representation within hydrologic models. Through these efforts, Dr. Dell'Aira's work contributes significantly to increasing urban resilience against flooding, addressing the challenges posed by changing climates and expanding urban landscapes.
The Impact of Receiving the UMAR’s Dorothy Arata Academic Excellence Award
Receiving UMAR’s Dorothy Arata Academic Excellence Award is a significant achievement
for Dr. Dell’Aira, personally and professionally. He views it as a testament to his
hard work and dedication to the hydrology field, one he proudly adds to his CV. His
time at UofM has been filled with invaluable support, from high-quality lectures to
robust mentorship from his advisor, Dr. Claudio Meier, who played an instrumental
role in fueling his passion for hydrology. Through UofM’s resources, including High-Performance Computing (HPC) and financial support, Dr. Dell’Aira enhanced his research and presented his work
at international conferences.
The Doctoral Journey & its Challenges
Dr. Dell’Aira faced various challenges during his doctoral journey, including the intricate process of developing computational steps and navigating vast scientific literature. His perseverance and the lessons he learned from his Master’s thesis helped him overcome these obstacles. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing that research progresses in small steps and requires dedication and persistence.
His dissertation focused on novel methodologies for basin representation using hydrologic connectivity. This approach enhances flood prediction models and contributes to the global issue of mitigating urban flooding. Moving forward, Dr. Dell’Aira plans to continue applying these methodologies in various projects, including collaborations with USGS scientists to improve tools for flood risk assessment.
The Power of Mentorship & His Next Steps
Dr. Dell’Aira attributes much of his success to the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Meier and his doctoral committee, as well as support from colleagues and experts at UofM
and USGS. He offers invaluable advice to graduate students and early-career researchers,
emphasizing that research is a marathon, not a sprint. He encourages them to stay
curious and break big problems into smaller, manageable pieces.
Looking ahead, Dr. Dell’Aira’s long-term career goal is to continue his research in hydrology and water resources, with aspirations to eventually become a university professor. His current research serves as a stepping stone toward these ambitions, building a strong foundation for his future contributions to the field and academia.
Congratulations to Dr. Francesco Dell'Aira on receiving the Dorothy Arata Academic Excellence Award! His dedication to advancing research in hydrology and urban flood resilience is truly inspiring. We are proud of his achievements and look forward to seeing the impact of his work in the field of water resources engineering.
Additional Noteworthy Accomplishments:
Awards:
- Received a scholarship during Master's program to study at the University of Exeter (UK), where he worked on his thesis.
- First place winner in the UofM's Student Research Forum, Engineering (Graduate) Section (2020).
- Invited to join the Honor Societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi (2021).
- Awarded the Herff College Fellowship and the Phi Kappa Phi University of Memphis Chapter scholarship (2021).
- Won the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the Department of Civil Engineering at UofM (May 2024).
- Publications:
- Authored two publications in high-impact journals, including the ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management and the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering.
- Published a conference article in the 2022 ASCE World Environmental & Water Resources Congress proceedings.
- Developed a new approach for the integrated optimal design and rehabilitation of water distribution networks in one journal article.
- Proposed improvements to mathematical optimization methods for deriving unit hydrographs in another journal article.
- Published research on the application of deep learning models in hydrology.
- Additional articles are currently under review or in preparation.
- Conference Presentations:
- Presented research at several national and international conferences, including:
- American Geosciences Union Fall Meeting (2022).
- ASCE World Environmental & Water Resources Congress (2022 and 2024).
- European Geosciences Union General Assembly (2022, 2023, and 2024).
- 2023 Sedimentation and Hydrology Conference.
- Presented research at several national and international conferences, including:
- Other Significant Achievements:
- Contributed to two recently awarded research grants to the UofM research lab:
- A grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for the project “Connectivity-Based Framework for Prioritizing the Location of Stormwater Control Interventions in Urban Watersheds.”
- A grant from the U.S. Geological Survey for the project “Leveraging Geospatial Data to Explain Urbanization Effects on Flood Response with the Hydrologic-Connectivity-Based Index of Urbanization (HCIU).”
- Collaborating with advisor Dr. Claudio Meier to expand the application of concepts from his dissertation to address critical water issues using connectivity-based hydrologic descriptors.
- Contributed to two recently awarded research grants to the UofM research lab: