Alexander Michalek

(913) 515-1107 · atmichalek@princeton.edu
...

Improving the preparedness and resilience of communities to flood hazards requires actionable information at the local scale. However, there is often a gap between what is available (usually at a limited number of locations or aggregated across large areas) and what is needed to make decisions at the local scale. This is where my research interest come to view. I am a researcher interested in flood predictions and projections across scales (i.e, A local, regional, and continental). I focus on coupling statistical, climate, and hydrologic models to improve predictions of floods and leverage web-tool frameworks to relay information to the public.

Research

Publications

Published
  • Michalek, A., G. Villarini, and A. Husic. Climate change projected to impact structural hillslope connectivity at the global scale. Nature Communications, 6788, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42384-2

  • Michalek, A., G. Villarini, T. Kim, F. Quintero, and W. F. Krajewski. Disentangling the Sources of Uncertainties in the Projection of Flood Risk Across the Central United States (Iowa), Geophysical Research Letters, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105852

  • Michalek, A., G. Villarini, T. Kim, F. Quintero, W.F. Krajewski and E. Scoccimarro. Evaluation of CMIP6 HighResMIP for hydrologic modeling, Water Resources Research, e2022WR034166, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034166

  • Michalek, A., F. Quintero, G. Villarini, and W.F. Krajewski. Projected changes in annual maxima discharge for Iowa communities, Journal of Hydrology, 625, 129957, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129957

  • McVey, I., A. Michalek, T. Mahoney, and A. Husic. Urbanization as a limiter and catalyst of watershed scale sediment transport: Insights from probabilistic connectivity modeling. Science of the Total Environment, 165093, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165093

  • Michalek, A., F. Quintero, G. Villarini, and W. F. Krajewski. Advantages of physically based flood frequency analysis with long-term simulations for Iowa, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 27(12), 2022. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0002230

  • Kim, H., G. Villarini, R. Jane, T. Wahl, S. Misra, and A. Michalek. On the generation of high‐resolution probabilistic design events capturing the joint occurrence of rainfall and storm surge in coastal basins, International Journal of Climatology, 1–11, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.7825

  • Husic, A. and A. Michalek. Structural hillslope connectivity is driven by tectonics more than climate and modulates hydrologic extremes and benefits, Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2022GL099898, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099898

  • Michalek, A., A. Husic, J. K. Roundy, and A. Hansen. Assessment of climatic and anthropogenic controls on bridge deck drainage and sediment removal. Water, 13(24), 3556, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13243556

  • Michalek, A., A. Zarnaghsh, and A. Husic. Modeling linkages between erosion and connectivity in an urbanizing landscape. Science of the Total Environment, 764, 144255, 2021. https://doi.org10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144255

Under Review
  • Michalek, A., G. Villarini, and T. Him. Understanding the impact of precipitation bias-correction and statistical downscaling methods on projected changes in flood extremes, Earth's Future, 2023.

  • Michalek, A., J. Done, and G. Villarini. Future changes in regional tropical cyclone wind, precipitation and flooding using event-based downscaling, Earth's Future, 2023.

  • Michalek, A., R. Amorim, G. Villarini, F. Quintero, and W.F. Krajewski. Iowa Flood Frequency and Projections Tool (IFFP): A tool to project flood frequency estimates across Iowa, Journal of Flood Risk Management, 2023.

Technical Reports
  • Villarini, G., Krajewski, W. F., and A. Michalek. Projected changes in flood peak discharge across Iowa: A flood frequency perspective. 20-SPR2-002, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames, IA. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/67175

  • Michalek, A., Husic, A., Roundy, J.K., & Hansen, A. 2022. Bridge deck drainage: Evaluation of KDOT’s current design guidance. K-TRAN: KU-20-1, Kansas Department of Transportation, Topeka, KS. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/61229

Presentations

  • Michalek, A., R.S. Amorim, F. Quintero, G. Villarini, and W. F. Krajewski. Iowa flood frequency and projections: analysis and web-tool, SEDHYD, Presentation, St. Louis, MO, May 2023.

  • Michalek, A. IFFP web-tool, Legislative Breakfast, Des Moines, IA, Computer Demonstration, March 2023.

  • Michalek, A., G. Villarini, T. Kim, F. Quintero, W. F. Krajewski, and E. Scoccimarro. Evaluation of biascorrected and downscaled CMIP6 HighResMIP precipitation for hydrologic modeling, AGU Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL, Poster, December 2022.

  • Michalek, A., F. Quintero, G. Villarini, and W.F. Krajewski. Advantages of physically based flood frequency analysis with long-term simulations for Iowa, AGU Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL, Poster, December 2022.

  • Michalek, A. Modeling linkages between erosion and connectivity in an urbanizing landscape, Capitol Graduate Research Summit, Topeka, KS, Virtual Poster, February 2021.

  • Michalek, A., A. Zarnaghsh, and A. Husic. Identifying erosion and connectivity hotspots in urbanizing Johnson County, KS, Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas, Topeka, KS, Virtual Poster,December 2020.

Software

Web Tools

Education

Princeton University

Doctor of Philosophy
Civil Engineering

Current

University of Kansas

Master's of Science
Civil Engineering - Water Resources Track

Thesis: Effects of Inlet Design on Hydraulic Efficiency and Sediment Cleanout of Bridge Deck Drains

August 2019 - May 2021

University of Kansas

Bachelor of Science
Civil Engineering
August 2015 - December 2018

Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

Princeton University

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

August 2023 - Current

Visiting Researcher

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

June 2023 - August 2023

Graduate Research Assistant

Univeristy of Iowa IIHR

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

June 2021 - August 2023

Graduate Research Assistant

Univeristy of Kansas

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering

Sping 2020, Spring 2021

Graduate Teaching Assistant

University of Kansas

I taught a fluid mechanics physical lab (CE331) and senior water resource design software lab (CE 552) for undergraduate students in the department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering.

Fall 2019, Fall 2020

Designer I

BlueScope Buidlings

Designed premanufactured steel buildings.

January 2019 - July 2019

Skills

Programming Languages
Softwares
  • Hydrologic Models: SWAT, HEC-HMS, Hillslope Link Model (HLM)
  • Hydraulic Models: HEC-RAS, HAND
  • Atmospheric Models: WRF, MPAS