Sunkwon Yoon | Water Resources Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Civil Engineering Awards

Dr. Sunkwon Yoon | Water Resources Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Research Fellow | The Seoul Institute | South Korea

Dr. Sunkwon Yoon’s research career demonstrates extensive contributions to hydrology, climate science, and urban water management, with a focus on developing adaptive technologies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. His research projects span smart water management systems, integrated flood risk assessment, and the design of resilient urban hydrologic infrastructures. As a principal investigator at the APEC Climate Center, he led international projects such as the development of smart water management solutions for the Kingdom of Tonga, integrating climate information to address water scarcity, and predictive systems for mud and debris flow considering urban characteristics. His work also includes advanced modeling techniques for flood forecasting, drought assessment, and inland-river systems management, emphasizing the application of stochastic and statistical hydrology to real-world problems. At the Seoul Institute of Technology and earlier at KAIST, his research explored risk-based water management, green growth initiatives, and climate-resilient urban development. His primary research interests include urban hydrology, smart water technology, flood and drought frequency analysis, and hydrometeorological variability linked to global climate phenomena such as ENSO and the Indian Ocean Dipole. Dr. Yoon’s studies have contributed significantly to improving prediction accuracy for extreme weather events, enhancing water security, and formulating sustainable water policies for urban resilience. Through collaborative efforts across government and international organizations, his experience bridges scientific modeling and policy-driven decision-making for disaster risk reduction. His ongoing focus on integrating hydrologic modeling with data-driven approaches reflects a commitment to advancing sustainable and adaptive water resource management under the evolving challenges of climate variability.

Profile: Google Scholar
Featured Publications:

  • Kim, J. P., Jung, I. W., Park, K. W., Yoon, S. K., & Lee, D. (2016). Hydrological utility and uncertainty of multi-satellite precipitation products in the mountainous region of South Korea. Remote Sensing, 8(7), 608.

  • Kim, J. S., Jain, S., & Yoon, S. K. (2012). Warm season streamflow variability in the Korean Han River Basin: Links with atmospheric teleconnections. International Journal of Climatology, 32(4), 635–640.

  • Moon, H., Yoon, S., & Moon, Y. (2023). Urban flood forecasting using a hybrid modeling approach based on a deep learning technique. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 25(2), 593–610.

  • Lee, T., Ouarda, T. B. M. J., & Yoon, S. (2017). KNN-based local linear regression for the analysis and simulation of low flow extremes under climatic influence. Climate Dynamics, 49(9), 3493–3511.

  • Yoon, S. K., Kim, J. S., & Moon, Y. I. (2014). Integrated flood risk analysis in a changing climate: A case study from the Korean Han River Basin. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 18(5), 1563–1571.

Professor Katarzyna Glińska – Water management and climate change – Best Researcher Award

Published on by Civil Engineering Awards

Professor Katarzyna Glińska - Water management and climate change - Best Researcher Award

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn - Poland

AUTHOR PROFILE

SCOPUS
ORCID
GOOGLE SCHOLAR

SUMMARY

Professor Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk is a distinguished environmental scientist specializing in hydrology, hydrochemistry, and ecohydrology. With over three decades of experience, she has contributed significantly to freshwater ecosystem research, focusing on biogeochemical processes, hydrological connectivity, and climate change impacts. Her interdisciplinary expertise integrates scientific research, project leadership, academic teaching, and policy advising. She has authored or co-authored over 300 publications, developed patented methods, and supervised numerous PhD students. As an expert evaluator and advisor in EU and national projects, she continues to shape the direction of sustainable water management and wetland restoration in Poland and across Europe.

EDUCATION

Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk holds a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Gdańsk (1993), further specialized in water management at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She earned her PhD in Environmental Protection and Management in 2001 and was awarded the title of Professor of Agricultural Sciences in 2018. Her academic trajectory is defined by a consistent dedication to freshwater research, particularly in lowland and postglacial regions, and her continuous pursuit of innovative, ecohydrological solutions for environmental challenges posed by climate change and human activities.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Throughout her career, Professor Glińska-Lewczuk has led multiple national and EU-funded research projects focused on the protection, functioning, and restoration of oxbow lakes and wetland systems. She has served as principal investigator in grants from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and contributed as work package leader in EU initiatives such as OPTIFERT and BIOPROS. Her practical and scientific knowledge has supported the development of integrated water management strategies and conservation plans, with notable engagement in hydromorphological assessments using advanced geospatial tools like GIS and remote sensing.

RESEARCH INTEREST

Her core research interests lie in understanding the hydrological and biochemical dynamics of river-lake systems, particularly under the influence of climate change. She has contributed pioneering work on hydrological connectivity, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem services in floodplain and oxbow lakes. Her research explores how agricultural runoff, groundwater depletion, and land use impact aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, she is involved in the development of ecological models using modern statistical methods to aid in environmental decision-making and landscape-scale water ecosystem management.

AWARD AND HONOR

Professor Glińska-Lewczuk has received wide recognition for her contributions to environmental science and water management. She has been appointed an Independent Expert Evaluator for EU frameworks including Horizon 2020, Water4All, and ERA-NET Water JPI. Her participation on expert advisory boards for Natura 2000 planning highlights her authority in policy-relevant science. As a respected reviewer for leading journals and active member of prestigious scientific societies, she maintains a prominent position in both national and international environmental research communities.

RESEARCH SKILL

She possesses advanced research skills in hydrological modeling, hydrochemical analysis, GIS, GPS, and remote sensing applications for aquatic ecosystem monitoring. Her methodological strength includes using multidimensional statistical tools to interpret complex ecological data. She is adept at applying scientific insight to real-world conservation, translating findings into actionable management plans for floodplains, wetlands, and rivers. Her experience spans from designing long-term watershed monitoring programs to evaluating the impacts of restoration efforts and guiding the implementation of ecohydrological practices.

PUBLICATIONS

Title: Mortality among the homeless: causes and meteorological relationships
Authors: J. Romaszko, I. Cymes, E. Dragańska, R. Kuchta, K. Glińska-Lewczuk
Journal: PLOS ONE

Title: The impact of urban areas on the water quality gradient along a lowland river
Authors: K. Glińska-Lewczuk, I. Gołaś, J. Koc, A. Gotkowska-Płachta, M. Harnisz, ...
Journal: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Title: Water quality dynamics of oxbow lakes in young glacial landscape of NE Poland in relation to their hydrological connectivity
Author: K. Glińska-Lewczuk
Journal: Ecological Engineering

Title: Effects of lateral connectivity on zooplankton community structure in floodplain lakes
Authors: A. Goździejewska, K. Glińska-Lewczuk, K. Obolewski, M. Grzybowski, ...
Journal: Hydrobiologia

Title: Heavy metal contamination in the surface layer of bottom sediments in a flow-through lake: a case study of Lake Symsar in Northern Poland
Authors: A. Kuriata-Potasznik, S. Szymczyk, A. Skwierawski, K. Glińska-Lewczuk, ...
Journal: Water

Title: The principal threats to the peatlands habitats, in the continental bioregion of Central Europe–A case study of peatland conservation in Poland
Authors: M. Grzybowski, K. Glińska-Lewczuk
Journal: Journal for Nature Conservation

CONCLUSION

Professor Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk stands out as an accomplished environmental scientist, educator, and leader. Her work bridges science, policy, and practical conservation, with an emphasis on safeguarding freshwater ecosystems amid changing climatic and land use patterns. She continues to contribute to sustainable water governance through research, mentorship, and expert advising. Her legacy includes shaping water protection frameworks, influencing academic curriculum through tutoring models, and strengthening the scientific foundation for protecting Europe’s most sensitive and vital water-dependent habitats.