Jens Figlus, Ph.D.
| Associate Professor College of Engineering Department of Ocean Engineering Texas A&M University – Galveston Campus |
200 Seawolf Pkwy Galveston, TX 77553 T: 409-741-4317 | C: 609-992-2702 PMEC 218 | figlusj@tamu.edu |
RESEARCH EXPERTISE and INTERESTS
| Coastal engineering research – specifically laboratory and field experiments of sediment transport phenomena: barrier island morphodynamics, sand dune overtopping and overwash, beach protection and recovery, wave – structure – sediment interaction and vegetation effects on sediment transport, beach nourishment design and evolution. |
| Hydrodynamic and sediment transport instrumentation for lab and field experiments. |
| Applied process based numerical modeling of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, beach and barrier island morphology evolution, dune and structure wave overtopping, sediment overwash and beach recovery mechanisms. |
| Hydraulic engineering and environmental fluid mechanics – design of rock protection for slopes, aeration effects on stability, ocean outfall port simulations and studies, hydraulic model design. |
EDUCATION
| Ph.D. Civil Engineering (Coastal Engineering Major), University of Delaware, USA Expertise: Coastal, hydraulic and environmental engineering, sediment transport. Adviser: Prof. Nobuhisa Kobayashi Dissertation: “Coastal morphological evolution in the wet and dry zone.” |
02/2007 – 08/2010 |
| Master of Civil Engineering (M.C.E.), University of Delaware, USA Fulbright scholarship for graduate studies. Major: Coastal Engineering. Adviser: Prof. Nobuhisa Kobayashi Thesis: “Nourished beach evolution on the Delaware Atlantic coast”. |
02/2006 – 02/2007 |
| Dipl.-Ing., Civil Engineering, University of Karlsruhe (now KIT), Germany Tulla medal and award (department of civil & environmental engineering). Major: Environmental fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering. Advisers: Prof. Wolfgang Rodi and Prof. Gerhard H. Jirka |
10/2000 – 08/2005 |
| University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) scholarship to complete German Diploma thesis at the Water Research Laboratory (WRL) of the UNSW. Advisers: Dr. Bill Peirson and Assoc. Prof. Ron Cox Thesis: “Experimental investigation on steep rock protected slopes subject to overtopping flow.” |
03/2005 – 08/2005 |
TEACHING and ADVISING EXPERIENCE
| Texas A&M University Galveston Campus – Department of Ocean Engineering (prior to 9/2015: Maritime Systems Engineering Department)
Courses taught: Graduate student committees chaired or co-chaired at TAMU: Graduate student committees chaired or co-chaired at other institutions: Undergraduate student workers supervised: |
Associate Professor
since Fall 2019
Assistant Professor 2012 – 2019 |
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware
|
Teaching Assistant
2006 – 2009 |
RESEARCH and WORK EXPERIENCE
Texas A&M University Galveston Campus – Department of Ocean Engineering (prior to 9/2015: Maritime Systems Engineering Department)
|
Associate Professor since Fall 2019 Assistant Professor 2012 – 2019 |
Gauff Engineering Group (Germany – USA)
Supervised personnel and lead project work groups |
Sr. Civil Engineer, Director of Business Development USA
09/2010 – 6/2012 |
Center for Applied Coastal Research, University of Delaware, Newark
|
Graduate Research Assistant
01/2006 – 08/2010
Research Assistant 01/2004 – 06/2004 |
Institute for Hydromechanics, University of Karlsruhe (TH), Germany
|
Graduate Research Assistant
11/2004– 12/2005
Research Assistant 10/2002 – 08/2003 |
Water Research Laboratory, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
|
Professional Practicum
03/2005 – 08/2005 |
SKILLS
| Experimental Instrumentation | Acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV / ADCP), laser Doppler anemometry (LDA), laser induced fluorescence (LIF), optical backscatter (OBS), laser line scanner, current profiler, unmanned aerial vehicle and ground GPS surveying equipment, capacitance wave gauges, wave maker facilities, ferromagnetic and fluorescent sediment tracer systems |
| Computer | Windows / UNIX OS; MS Office applications, MATLAB, FORTRAN, LabView, Maple, Corel Draw, LaTeX, HYBEKA, STWAVE, CSHORE, XBeach, SMS, CORMIX, Delft3D, ArcGIS |
| Languages | German (native speaker), English (bilingual), French (intermediate), Spanish (intermediate) |
| Leadership | Acquired valuable expertise in personnel management and strategic company development as Director of Business Development USA for the Gauff Engineering Group. |
GRANT FUNDING
| National Science Foundation (NSF) | Collaborative Research: Ridge-Runnel Post-Storm Beach Recovery – Hydrodynamics, Sediment Transport, and Morphodynamics (PI)
PIRE: Coastal Flood Risk Reduction Program: Integrated, Multi-Scale Approaches for Understanding How to Reduce Vulnerability to Damaging Events (Co-PI, PI: Sam Brody) RAPID: Hurricane Harvey Rapid Response: In-Situ Barrier Island Storm Impact and Recovery Measurements of Hydrodynamics, Morphodynamics, and Sedimentation across Hog and Follets Island, Texas (PI) US GO-SHIP 2018 (107N) Cruise (A. Whitley) |
| US Army Corps of Engineers (DoD) | In-Situ Measurements of Physical Forces and Biological Parameters in Coastal and Estuarine Systems, Galveston District (PI)
Sand Tracer Study of a Nearshore Berm in South Padre Island, Texas – Laboratory Tracer Analysis (PI) Hydrodynamic Field Measurements in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel (PI) |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | NTHMP: Implementing NTHMP-MMS Strategic Plan in Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Products for the Gulf of Mexico (Co-PI, PI: Juan Horrillo)
NTHMP: Development of Two Additional Tsunami Inundation Maps and Updating Existing Ones with Maritime Hazard Mitigation Products (Co-PI, PI: Juan Horrillo) NTHMP: Development of Two Additional Tsunami Inundation Maps and Updating Port Aransas, TX inundation maps with the full set of tsunami sources (Co-PI, PI: Juan Horrillo) NTHMP: Development of Two Tsunami Inundation Maps in the Gulf of Mexico and inclusion of the USGS Yucatan landslide tsunami sources (Co-PI, PI: Juan Horrillo) NTHMP: Development of Two Tsunami Inundation Maps in the Gulf of Mexico and inclusion of the Meteotsunami Characterization for Panama City, FL (Co-PI, PI: Juan Horrillo) |
| Texas Sea Grant (NOAA / US Dept. of Commerce) | If We Lose Follet’s Island, We Lose Coastal Communities and Christmas Bay: A Geological Framework and Numerical Model Study of the Sustainability of Follet’s Island (PI)
Guaranteeing Coastal Wetland Survival under Sea Level Rise through Nature-Based Beneficial-Use Dredged Sediment Placement: A Galveston Bay Living Laboratory |
| Texas General Land Office (GLO) | CEPRA: Innovative Technology Seaweed Prototype Dunes (PI)
CEPRA: Innovative Technology Sustaining Dune Growth With Seabales (PI) CMP: Geological Framework Study of Follet’s Island (Co-PI, PI: Tim Dellapenna) CEPRA: Carancahua Bay Habitat Preservation and Enhancement (TX), Including Full Surveys, Design, and Permitting (PI: Rusty Feagin) |
| Coastal Beach and Bay Foundation | Barrier Design and Landscape Integration for Galveston’s West End (Co-PI, PI: William Merrell) |
| State of Texas | Research Development Funding: Laboratory Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters and Wave Flume Instrumentation (PI)
Research Development Funding: Field Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (PI) |
| Texas Institute of Oceanography | Instrumentation Grant: Subsurface Wave Buoy and Current Profiler (PI) |
AWARDS, MEMBERSHIPS and SERVICE
| TEES Young Faculty Fellow Award (Texas A&M University College of Engineering) | 2018 |
| Fulbright Alumni | |
| Member ASCE, COPRI, ASBPA, ISOPE | |
| Reviewer ASCE Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering, Elsevier Coastal Engineering, AGU Geophysical Research Letters, ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, World Scientific Coastal Engineering Journal, National Science Foundation and South Carolina Sea Grant Program | |
| Member of the International Society of Ocean and Polar Engineers (ISOPE) International Coastal Engineering Committee | since 9/2015 |
| Member Local Organizing Committee for International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE) 2018 in Baltimore, MD | |
| ·Voting Member Beach Maintenance Advisory Committee (BMAC) for the Galveston Park Board of Trustees | 2012 – 2018 |
| Recipient of Tulla Medal and Award for best graduate 2005 (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Karlsruhe, Germany). | 01/2006 |
| Recipient of German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) scholarship to complete diploma thesis at the Water Research Laboratory (WRL) of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. | 03/2005 – 08/2005 |
| Recipient of Fulbright scholarship for graduate studies in the United States. | 08/2003 – 06/2004 |
| ASCE Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Fellow |