Category: new group member

Yu Ding recently joined the Sustainable URban Futures (SURF) Lab as a Ph.D. student in Meteorology. Welcome!

Before coming to OU, Yu Ding completed her master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Resources at Hohai University, China. Her previous research focused on improving the accuracy of satellite precipitation data and integrating bias correction and machine learning algorithms to enhance data precision. Yu has an interest in utilizing remote sensing techniques and hydrological modeling.

Her Ph.D. research will focus on developing an integrated high-resolution pollutant dispersion model over complex terrain (e.g., urban environments).

Bohong Li recently joined the Sustainable URban Futures (SURF) Lab as a visiting M.Sc. student. Welcome!

Bohong Li is an M.Sc. student majoring in Atmospheric Science from the University of Hamburg. He finished his B.Sc. degree in meteorology in the University of Hamburg. In his bachelor thesis, he analyzed steep temperature drops using data from the Hamburg Weather Mast. Bohong’s research interests include urban climate and emission, atmospheric chemistry, urban heat island, as well as health risk and public health due to changing urban climate. During his visit, his research will focus on urban effects on precipitation.

Bohong’s personal interests include everything about Taylor Swift, sports and esports, gaming, photography, and watching series and movies.

Kihong Park recently joined the Sustainable URban Futures (SURF) Lab as a visiting Ph.D. student. Welcome!

Kihong Park is a Ph.D. student majoring in Water Resources and Coastal Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Republic of Korea. He joined the SURF lab in Feb 2024. Before coming to OU, Kihong completed his master’s degree in Civil Engineering at Chung-Ang University. His previous research focused on the spatial and economic analysis of wastewater treatment plants, specifically the application of wastewater heat and risk analysis related to urban floods.

Kihong’s research interests include hydrology, meteorology, and disasters in the urban environment. His Ph.D. research focuses on the risk analysis of urban compound disasters using a multivariate probabilistic approach.

Jessica Leffel recently joined the Sustainable URban Futures (SURF) Lab as an M.S. student in Meteorology. Welcome!

Prior to coming to OU, Jessica graduated from Barrett the Honors College at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology-Climatology. Her previous research analyzed the relationship between tropospheric ozone pollution and synoptic conditions in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, Jessica worked as a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service Phoenix office.

Jessica’s research interests include applied climatology, energy, urban meteorology, climate variability, and synoptic meteorology. Advised by Dr. Chenghao Wang, her research at OU will aim to enhance urban building energy use predictions with the development of an integrated modeling framework that accounts for local and regional meteorological conditions. This will combine building stock models with urban meteorological models to create more accurate predictions of city-level building energy use.

Yuqi Huang recently joined the Sustainable URban Futures (SURF) Lab as a Ph.D. student majoring in Meteorology. Welcome!

Before coming to OU, Yuqi completed his master’s degree in civil engineering at Beijing Normal University, China. His previous research focused on understanding and modeling the physical, hydrological, and ecological processes of inland water bodies and the response of aquatic ecosystems to climate change.

Yuqi has an interest in interdisciplinary subjects across hydrology, meteorology, and statistics. His Ph.D. research will focus on understanding and improving the predictive capability of urban hydrometeorological and climate simulations across multiple spatial scales.