System Project
Resume:
Nick Z. Fang
Ph.D., P.E.
Rice University MS-*** 713-***-****
**** **** ******, *******, ** 77005 ********@****.***
Education
Rice University
Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering May 2008
Lamar University
M.S. in Chemical Engineering May 2003
Zhejiang University
B.S. in Environmental Engineering June 1998
Research Areas
Surface and groundwater hydrology, geographical information, flood warning and alert
systems, flood
control and water quality strategies, hydrologic and hyd raulic modeling/design,
stormwater management,
pipeline systems, open channel flow analysis inland flooding induced by severe storm
surge,
contaminant transport mechanisms in groundwater, a quifer remediation strategies and
modeling, and 2-D
and 3-D visualization of fluid modeling.
Research Statement
Dr. Fang obtained his Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice
University in May of
2007. He has been working on surface water and groundwater problems for over ten years
including
floodplain studies, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, water treatment, hydrodynamic
simulation, storm
water management modeling, and water quality assessment for a number of watersheds and
areas in
Texas, Florida, Connecticut, California, and Louisi ana. Not only has he accomplished
many projects in
drainage modeling and design, but he has also actively worked in the area of
hydrologic/hydraulic
analysis for flood prediction and warning in real-tim e mode. Dr. Fang has enhanced a
radar-based flood
warning system to achieve more accurate and timely flood forecasts. He recently developed
advanced
features for a real-time flood alert system for the Texas Medical Center (TMC) based on
the use of
NEXRAD radar data. This system is currently delivered real-time on a web site (
fas3.flood-alert.org) that
has been tested on major flood events in Houston. Th is system has been operational
during the last 40
storm events and successfully provided precise and time ly information to the TMC
emergency center. As
a result of his work in the development of the a dvanced flood warning and control system
for Houston
and statewide model for Texas, Dr. Fang was funde d by CASA, an NSF Engineering Research
Center
(ERC) to develop the next generation flood warni ng system by incorporating higher-
resolution radar
network and hydrologic/hydraulic prediction tools. His work is being expanded as a
prototype to other
flood-prone areas in the U.S. He had accomplished many projects for the United State
Geological Survey
(USGS), TxDOT, Clear Lake City Water Authority (C LCWA), and City of Sugar Land in the
past. Dr.
Fang currently works as a research engineer and assistan t to the director in the Severe
Storm Prediction,
Education, and Evacuation from Disast ers (SSPEED) center at Rice University.
Dr. Fang has played key roles in the following development efforts and made significant
contributions to
the field of hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, draina ge design, flood forecasting, and
flood alert.
In order to obtain reliable flood predictions to incorporate hurricane induced storm
surges in
Galveston Bay, Dr. Fang integrated storm surge model output with the revised hydraulic
models
within Geographic Information System (GIS) and NEXRAD radar data. This system is a
powerful
tool for predicting severe storm impact and will a llow governmental agencies to make
well-informed
decisions on flood control, evacuation planning, and assist the allocation of funding for
mitigation of
flood problems caused by severe storm surge events.
Dr. Fang has developed a predictive floodplain library by integrating various flood
profiles for three
major bayous of Houston to delineate floodplains an d quantify water surface elevations.
He ran both
the hydrologic and the integrated hydraulic models to delineate floodplain maps under
various spatial
Nick Z. Fang s Resume (Page 2)
and temporal conditions associated with rainfa ll intensities. He also helped design a
unique
computing algorithm to link up with appropriate flood maps dynamically based on actual
rainfall
measurements for the storm in progress. This new feature enables emergency personnel to
determine
likely inundations based on future rainfall patterns and begin flood preparations with as
much lead
time as possible. This will help reduce economic lo sses by taking strategic measures
early in a flood
disaster.
The traditional steady-state flood modeling method can cau se up to several feet of
error in elevation,
which may result in huge economic and life losses during severe storm events, especially
for areas
with flat topographic conditions. To address this, Dr. Fang developed an unsteady-state
model to
depict dynamic changes of flow and stage hydrog raphs in magnitudes and timings, and is
more
realistic and precise in delineating floodplain ma ps than the traditional methods that
Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses. This unsteady-state modeling approach is a new
contribution to federal flood control and management initiatives, and is the wave of the
future.
Besides his strong background in surface and groundw ater hydrology and hydraulics,
experience in
environmental engineering, Dr. Fang also possesses in -depth knowledge and experiences of
hydrologic,
hydraulic, and groundwater packages such as HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, GW-Vistas, XP-SWMM, Visual
MODFLOW, and ArcGIS. Additionally, he has investigated and modeled numerous groundwater
contaminated sites in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Connecticut.
Experience
Research Scientist, Rice University, Houston, TX. ( May 2007Present)
Managing the hydrologic and hydraulic analysis project for the Yuna River watershed in
the
Dominican Republic; collaborating researchers and engineers from the Dominican Republic s
Water
Resources Authority (INDRHI) and the Center for Space Research (CSR) at UT Austin to
analyze
and pinpoint areas for the LiDAR survey in order to develop digital elevation derived
hydrologic and
hydraulic models; leading the team to devel op hydrologic and hydraulic models and
delineate
floodplains for this watershed in order to carry out appropriate flood control design for
the local
government ($150,000).
Developed a real-time flood warning system for the Highway 288 junction over Brays
Bayou, a
highly flood-prone section, using calibrated hydr ologic/hydraulic models and real-time
NEXRAD
rainfall data. Highway 288 is a major evacuation ro ute from the Gulf coast. The recently
developed
hydraulic prediction tool (FPML) is also being incorporated into this flood warning
system to
visualize floodplain in near real time; designed a nd developed another real-time radar-
based flood
warning system for two flood-prone locations: Mande ll St. near SH-59 and Tellepsen Rd
near IH-45
in Houston, Texas for TxDOT; calibrated the SWMM models for both locations and developed
rainfall water surface elevation correlations with a detailed hydrologic/hydrau lic
study in order to
provide flood warning information in real-time base d on radar rainfall information. This
project is
funded by TxDOT with $200,000 for two years.
Designing and developing a real-time flood warnin g system for several cross sections
over Oyster
Creek in Sugar Land, Texas. The flood alert system is based real-time NEXRAD radar
rainfall data,
a well-calibrated hydrologic model, and an operational data transfer platform. The
project is funded
by the City of Sugar Land with $80,000.
Re-evaluating the stormwater system in Harris Gully with updated drainage information,
hydrologic
& hydraulic models, land use information, and recen tly-installed flood control
facilities. The project
is funded by the Texas Medical Center with $50,000.
Tel: 713-***-**** Email: ********@****.*** Web: http://fang.rice.edu
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department MS-317, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,
Houston Texas 77005.
Re-evaluating the stormwater system and floodplain maps within the Rice University and
its
surrounding areas with updated land use information a nd flood control improvement. The
project is
funded by Rice University with $45,000.
Nick Z. Fang s Resume (Page 3)
Performing an analysis of inland flooding and st orm surge risk for the Clear Lake City
Water
Authority (CLCWA) using information collected during Hurricane Ike (2009) and hydrologic
&
hydraulic models; the research results will be used to inform local residents and
governmental
agencies how to deal with floods and hurricane induced storm surge; funding for local
infrastructural
improvements will be allocated upon these research results as well. The project is funded
by
CLCWA with $65,000.
Performing a pilot project that integrates a comprehensive coastal flood warning system
with a
lifeline evacuation analysis of the roadways and bridges on the Clear Lake areas in
Texas. This
project is funded by the Shell Sustainability Center with $42,000.
Coordinating major research universities (UT-Austin, TAMU, LSU, UH, etc.) and other
public and
private entities to collaborate and exchange tec hnical information of inland flooding
induced by
severe storms for the Center of Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from
Disasters
(SSPEED) with funding from Houston Endowment ($2.5 Million).
Performing a study of storm surge impacts on the Houston Ship Channel using collected
Hurricane
Ike storm surge information, the results from A dvanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC), and a
2-D
MIKE-FLOOD model. This research is sponsored by the SSPEED center.
Performed a study for a land development project within the Cypress Creek watershed using
a
TM
) in order for the local agency to control and monitor overland distributed hydrologic
model (Vflo
runoffs from developed areas. The sizing and locations of detention ponds were determined
by my
simulated results. The results and recommendations were also published in the ASCE
Journal of
Hydrologic Engineering providing conceptual land planning suggestions.
Conducted a hydrologic/hydraulic study for the confluence of Oyster Creek and Ditch B
to provide
multiple tailwater conditions. The located is about 700 feet downstream of Dulles Ave. in
the City of
Sugar Land. The tailwater conditions were simula ted based on the calibrated Oyster Creek
models
and were developed for FEMA freque ncies (10%, 2%, 1%, and 0.2%).
Developed groundwater flow and transport models (GW-Vistas) to evaluate groundwater
directions
under fluctuations of Mississippi River and operations of city supply wells in Myrtle
Grove in
Louisiana. Different scenarios and boundary conditions were set up and simulated to see
negative
impact from a Dow refinery plant on the surrounding neighborhood. This work was done to
provide
expert opinions as support for a litigation case.
Conducted numerous detailed hydrol ogic and hydraulic studies for the purpose of
evaluating flood
risk and the causes of flooding events for the liti gation cases from California,
Florida, Louisiana, and
Texas.
Ph.D.
Rice University, Houston, TX (March 2004- May 2007)
Developed advanced features of real-time flood forecast and control systems for flood-
prone areas
by incorporating real-time radar and storm surge data. This research was supported on the
center of
Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) from the National Science
Foundation
(NSF).
Developed unsteady state hydraulic modeling system to accurately delineate flood maps.
This
research was supported by CASA, an ERC of NSF.
Developed a hydraulic prediction tool, floodplain map library (FPML) for FAS2 to
dynamically
respond to real-time radar rainfall. This system can provide emergency personnel more
lead time to
initiate strategic measures. This research was supported by CASA from NSF.
Managing Flood Alert System (FAS3) for the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou area to
keep
the system running properly on a daily basis for the past years.
Developed and improved distributed models for Harris Gully area including the Texas
Medical
Center; incorporated pipe flow mechanism into th e system to account for pressure flow;
simulation
results matched well with the measured data for historical rainfall events; awarded USGS
Research
Grant ($5000) for this research work.
Tel: 713-***-**** Email: ********@****.*** Web: http://fang.rice.edu
Civil and Environmental Engineering DepartmentMS-317, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,
Houston Texas 77005.
Investigated in modeling groundwater flow for a former airplane jet repair facility in
Connecticut,
which was contaminated by chlorinated compounds used as grease detergent for many
decades;
modeled groundwater flow around a Dow Chemical f acility in Louisiana; developed models
for a
Nick Z. Fang s Resume (Page 4)
contaminated site in Jerome, Florida to simu late creosote transport in groundwater using
MODFLOW &MT3D.
Accomplished a hydrologic and hydraulic analys is by using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS for many
local projects under various flooding scenarios.
Research Assistant, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX (Jan 2001-May 2003)
Developed natural attenuation models accounting for injection of oxygen releasing
compound;
planned to design the injection, so as to optim ize the increase in dissolved oxygen
content in
groundwater.
Established a regression analysis of concentration vers us distance for stable plumes
as an analytical
solution for one-dimensional, steady state, contam inant transport; quantified biodecay
rate constants
based on field data; performed sensitivity analysis on the total decay rate constants.
Scientific Societies
1. Texas licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.#109861)
2. Member of SIGMA XI
Member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 3.
4. Member of American Water Resources Association (AWRA)
Member of American Geophysical Union (AGU) 5.
6. Member of Madison Who s Who
Honors
Eleanor & Mills Bennett Fellowship ($24,000). (May, 2007)
BP Student Travel Award ($500) from American Institute of Hydrology (AIH) (May, 2006)
Reward from USGS through Texas Water Resources Institute ($
Funded Proposals
1. Texas Medical Center Harris Gully Storm Water System Analysis ($50,000) (2010)
Rice University Rice University Floodplain Re-evaluation ($45,000) (2010) 2.
3. Clear Lake City Water Authority Flood and Storm Surge Risk Analysis ($ 65,000) (2009-
2010)
4. INDRHI H& H Study for the Dominican Republican Yuna River ($150,000) (2008-2010).
City of Sugar Land Real-time Flood Alert System for Oyster Creek ($ 80,000) (2009). 5.
6. TxDOT - TxDOT Flood Alert System for SH 288 Brays Bayou Section ($200,000) (2007-
2009).
7. USGS - Enhancing a Distributed Hydrologic Model for Storm Water Analysis within a GIS
Framework in an Urban Area ($5,000) (2005)
http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/05grants/2005TX193B.pdf
http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/05grants/2005TX193B.html
Workshops and Teaching Experience
Flood Alert System Training Session at Texas Medical Center Library (September, 2010) 6.
Tel: 713-***-**** Email: ********@****.*** Web: http://fang.rice.edu
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department MS-317, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,
Houston Texas 77005.
7. Flood Alert System Training Session at TxDOT (January, 2009)
8. Flood Alert System Training Session at Transtar (February, 2009)
Flood Alert System Training Session at Rice University (January, 2008) 9.
Nick Z. Fang s Resume (Page 5)
10. Flood Alert System Training at Texas Medical Center Library. (March, 2007)
Dissertation and Thesis
1. Fang, Z. (2007). Doctoral dissertation: A Dynamic Hydraulic Floodplain Map Prediction
Tool for
Flood Alert in a Coastal Urban Watershed Consider ing Storm Surge Issues. Civil and
Environmental
Engineering Department, Rice Un iversity, Houston, Texas.
2. Fang, Z. (2003). Master s thesis: Modeling Natu ral Attenuation and Enhanced Natural
Attenuation
of Chlorinated Benzenes in Groundwater. Chemical Engineering Department, Lamar
University,
Beaumont, Texas.
References Available Upon Request
Tel: 713-***-**** Email: ********@****.*** Web: http://fang.rice.edu
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department MS-317, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,
Houston Texas 77005.
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