A Paper, a PhD Dissertation, a Flood, and the Wisconsin Rainfall Project: An Early Career Example of Making Science Work for the Real World and for Yourself

Abstract:

Researchers, myself included, often struggle with how to do interesting science while also solving real-world problems. This challenge is particularly acute for young scientists who are balancing their idealism with their inexperience, expectations, and uncertainty. In this presentation, I offer up my own story navigating these challenges, from my time as a PhD applicant to today as an assistant professor. In telling this story, I focus on the evolution of a technique known as Stochastic Storm Transposition from a purely theoretical concept in the early 1960s, to becoming the centerpiece of my dissertation and postdoctoral work, to now enabling the Wisconsin Rainfall Project. In this most recent initiative, we are creating and sharing updated extreme rainfall statistics throughout the state of Wisconsin to improve infrastructure resiliency in the face of climate change. The project will only succeed through collaboration, coordination, and awareness-building—which has pushed me to connect with and learn from municipalities, utilities, private firms, and state agencies. I offer a few lessons that I think are important for early career researchers who want to make a difference: learn from the past; shut up and listen; do good science; find people who support you; and finally, take care of yourself.