Seminar Series - Professor Francina Dominguez

Abstract:
In this presentation, I will introduce a new forecasting and decision-support framework for extreme weather and flooding events that enables proactive decision-making at Department of Defense installations, with a specific focus on the Detroit Arsenal. Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise in engineering, physical science, and social science to address the challenges of flood risk and decision-making.

Our work is motivated by the limitations of current systems, which are largely reactive and rely on real-time information—constraining response time and increasing risk. Guided by DoD needs, we focus on developing science that delivers forecasts and decision guidance days in advance, enabling proactive actions that protect personnel, preserve assets, and sustain mission operations.

To achieve this, we integrate advanced weather and flood modeling, real-time observations, and robust uncertainty analysis with human-centered design to deliver tailored risk guidance and decision-support tools aligned with each installation's needs.

Francina Dominguez is a Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (CliMAS) at the University of Illinois. Dr. Dominguez has a background in civil engineering hydrology and more than a decade as faculty in atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois. As a hydroclimatologist, Dr. Dominguez’ work is focused on the interactions between the land and the atmosphere, and more specifically, on changes in hydrology and climate due to human modification of the land surface and greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Dominguez received the American Meteorological Society’s Henry G. Houghton Award, the Ascent Award from the American Geophysical Union and the Robert E. Horton Lecturer in Hydrology by the American Meteorological Society.