Meet GCI Postdoctoral Fellow – Dr. Ari Jong-Levinger
October 11, 2024
Meet Ari Jong-Levinger, Ph.D., a Grand Challenges Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow at the Schmid College of Science and Technology!
Dr. Jong-Levinger holds a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Irvine. She earned her B.S. in environmental science and policy from Chapman University in 2016! Ari studies how the interactions between wildfire, storms, and flood management infrastructure influence post-fire floods and debris flows. Her work aims to co-produce useful knowledge about the impact of climate change on flood risk and water resources with stakeholders to support efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in Southern California.
Q & A with Dr. Ari Jong-Levinger
What is your current area of research – and why are you passionate about it?
I study how wildfires affect floods in Southern California. I’m passionate about doing applied science that addresses environmental “grand challenges” such as how climate change is worsening droughts, wildfires, and floods. I’m also very grateful that I get to work with flood control agencies to develop modeling tools that allow us to better understand and prepare for post-fire floods and debris flows.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten regarding pursuing a career in science is the importance of good science writing skills. There are so many ways that writing skills help you get ahead in science and engineering, from research papers to funding proposals to public-facing reports. The more you can improve your writing, the better!
What are you most looking forward to about GCI?
What would you be doing if you weren’t a scientist?
I would probably be running a community science program for a non-profit somewhere. Is that still too science-y? Maybe owning my own bakery!
How do you like your coffee?
