faculty.Miguel Medina

Miguel A. Medina, Jr., Professor

Dr. Medina earned a Ph.D. degree in water resources and environmental engineering sciences from the University of Florida in 1976 and joined the Duke faculty thereafter. Dr. Medina is Director of the International Honors Program of the School of Engineering and Co-Director of the School's joint master's degree program with the Fuqua School of Business. He has been a registered Professional Hydrologist, American Institute of Hydrology (Minnesota), since 1983.

Professor Medina has conducted funded research in hydrologic and water quality mathematical modeling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Water Research and Technology, the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute, the State of North Carolina, and the U.S. Air Force. His current research focuses on integrating contaminant transport prediction models within a decision-analysis framework for risk assessment. The results of his research are reported in such journals as Water Resources Research, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Hydrosoft, Advances in Water Resources, Ground Water, Applied Mathematics and Computation, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Computing in Civil Engineering, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, Journal of Environmental Engineering, Hydrological Science and Technology, and Environmental Health Perspectives.

He was selected a Fulbright Scholar for 1984 at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He conducted post-graduate intensive courses on urban hydrology for UNESCO in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Panama in 1985 and 1986. In 1987, he was awarded an NSF travel grant to establish links between U.S. and Argentine hydrologists and water professionals. He was named External Evaluator of the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme from 2002 to 2003.

Professor Medina is a former President of the Universities Council on Water Resources, Inc., and the North Carolina Section of the American Water Resources Association. He is a consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, the Research Triangle Institute of North Carolina, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, the Ministries of Water Resources in Venezuela and Spain, the Technical Advisory Service for Attorneys, and other private enterprises. He is Chairman of the International Technical Advisory Committee of the International Ground Water Modeling Center (Colorado School of Mines, and Delft, The Netherlands). In 1989, the Governor of North Carolina appointed Dr. Medina to the Environmental Management Commission.

Education

• Ph.D. Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, 1976
• M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Alabama, 1972
• B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Alabama, 1968

Professional Experience

• Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, l998-Present
• Interim Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, July 1, 2000 - August 31, 2001
• Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, l981-1998
• Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, l976-1981
• Visiting Fulbright Scholar Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, 1984
• Assistant Post Engineer, Third U.S. Army Ft. McPherson, Atlanta, GA, 1970-1971

Sample Publications [complete publication list]

Rao, P. and M. A. Medina, Jr., “Evaluation of V and W multiple grid cycles for modeling one and two dimensional transient free surface flows,” Applied Mathematics and Computation, 138 (1) 151-167 (2003).

Rao, P. and Medina, M.A., Jr., "An Improved Radiating Boundary Equation for Free Surface Flows," Applied Mathematics and Computation, 132(1), 73-86 (2002).

Medina, M.A., Jr., W. Thomann, and J.P. Holland, "Integrating Parameter Estimation, Optimization and Subsurface Solute Transport Modeling," Hydrological Science and Technology, 17(1-4), 259-282 (2001).

Liu, W.H., M.A. Medina, Jr., W. Thomann, W.T. Piver, and T.L. Jacobs, "Optimization of Intermittent Pumping Schedules for Aquifer Remediation Using a Genetic Algorithm," Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 36(6) 1335-1348 (2000).

Courses Taught

• CE 122L. Fluid Mechanics
• CE 123L. Water Resources Engineering
• CE 225. Dynamic Engineering Hydrology
• CE 227. Groundwater Hydrology and Contaminant Transport
• CE 245. Pollutant Transport Systems

Honors and Awards

• Vice-President for Institute Development, American Institute of Hydrology (1998-2000)
• Award Plaque, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours Company, July 27, 2000 for "outstanding contributions and dedication toward furthering the science of environmental modeling."
• Scientific Board, International Conference on Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain (1999)
• Technical Advisory Committee, Water Resources Research Institute of UNC (1997-1999)
• School of Engineering Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, awarded by the graduating undergraduate student body (1995)
• Board of Academic Advisors, Environmental Project, Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1995-present)
• U.S. Air Force Summer Research Fellow, Brooks AFB, Texas (1990)
• Environmental Management Commission, appointed to six-year term by Governor of North Carolina, James Martin, July 1989
• Earl I. Brown II Outstanding Civil Engineering Faculty Award, Duke University Chapter of Chi Epsilon (1989)
• President, Universities Council on Water Resources (1987-1988)
• Congressional testimony, U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of the Interior, Feb. 25, 1988.
• Distinguished Engineering Fellow, College of Engineering, University of Alabama, 150th Anniversary of College of Engineering, April 1988.
• Chairman, International Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) of the International Ground Water Modeling Center (IGWMC), Golden, Colorado and Delft, The Netherlands, 1988-1993, member (1987-1993)
• Board of Directors, Universities Council on Water Resources (1985-1988), President-Elect, 1986-1987.
• UNESCO Lecturer in Central America and the Caribbean (Dominican Republic and Panama), Hydrologic and Water Quality Models (1986)
• President, N. C. Water Resources Association (1986)
• UNESCO Lecturer in Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador), Hydrologic and Water Quality Models (1985)
• President-Elect, N.C. Water Resources Association (1985)
• Fulbright Senior Scholar, Monash University, Australia (1984)
• Recipient of University of Florida College of Engineering Fellowship (1972-1973)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Traineeship (1971-1972)
• William Simpson Keller Prize. Awarded to top senior in Civil Engineering in the State of Alabama (1967-1968)

Professional and Service Activities

• Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society of North America
• Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society
• Chi Epsilon, National Civil Engineering Honor Society
• International Water Resources Association
• American Institute of Hydrology
• American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow
• American Geophysical Union
• American Water Resources Association
• Certified Professional Hydrologist, American Institute of Hydrology, St. Paul, Minnesota

Current and Ongoing Research

• Modeling surface-subsurface flow and solute transport interactions
• Hydrologic and water quality mathematical modeling; coupling surface runoff, receiving water quality, wetlands and ground water models
• Integration of contaminant transportation prediction models within a decision-analysis framework for risk assessment