B.S. Columbia University, 2011Ph.D. Cornell University, 2017
As a longtime math geek and nature lover, I was excited to learn I could make a career as an environmental systems engineer, applying concepts of mathematics to improve the management of environmental systems. My research specifically focuses on advancing optimization and simulation methods used to inform the design and management of water resources systems with the goals of protecting people from nature (floods and droughts), and nature from people (pollution and consumption). I view this as an iterative process beginning with risk and uncertainty analysis to discover which sectors and populations are most vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic hazards, followed by multi-objective optimization of the system to reduce these multi-sectoral vulnerabilities. I am particularly interested in how advanced sensing and forecasting techniques can be used to inform this optimization.
Awards
UVA Engineering Graduate Student Council Advisor of the Year2021
UVA Civil Engineering Teaching Award2021
First Place, Universities Council on Water Resources Ph.D. Dissertation Award in Natural Science and Engineering2017
Editor's Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, Water Resources Research2017, 2018, 2019
Best Reviewer Award, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management2016
Research Interests
Water resources management
Multi-objective control
Stochastic hydrology
Risk analysis
Uncertainty analysis
Selected Publications
Profitability of climate-smart soil fertility investment varies widely across sub-Saharan Africa ABSMcCullough, E.B., Quinn, J.D. and Simons, A.M. (2022). Nature Food, 3(4), 275-285.
Can exploratory modeling of water scarcity vulnerabilities and robustness be scenario neutral? ABSQuinn, J.D., Hadjimichael, A., Reed, P.M. and Steinschneider, S. (2020). Earth's Future, 8(11), e2020EF001650.
What is controlling our control rules? Opening the black box of multireservoir operating policies using time-varying sensitivity analysis ABSQuinn, J.D., Reed, P.M., Giuliani, M. and Castelletti, A. (2019). Water Resources Research, 55(7), 5962-5984.
Rival framings: A framework for discovering how problem formulation uncertainties shape risk management trade‐offs in water resources systems ABSQuinn, J.D., Reed, P.M., Giuliani, M. and Castelletti, A. (2017). Water Resources Research, 53(8), 7208-7233
PI: Julianne Quinn, Co-PIs: Peter Debaere, Paul Block, Mesfin Mekonnen
The goal of this project is to evaluate the potential gains of better coordinated, forecast-informed drought management of water systems and their institutional and physical infrastructure to simultaneously reduce community impacts of drought and facilitate sustainable economic growth. The work focuses on the Colorado River Basin.
