Dr. Jory Hecht is a statistical hydrologist with an interdisciplinary water resources and social-environmental systems modeling background.
In 2019, Jory came to the U.S. Geological Survey to work on the Flood Frequency for Hydraulic Design project funded by the Federal Highway Administration and has since become a member of numerous project teams in the Water Resources Mission Area, including the Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) Trends and Drivers project (methods team lead) and National Drought Prediction project. He is also one of the USGS representatives to the Science Subgroup of the Interagency Flood Resilience Working Group and co-coordinates the Hydrologic Extremes Working Group (HEWG) of the USGS Water Resource Mission Area’s Modeling Community of Practice.
Prior to coming to the U.S. Geological Survey, Jory worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Vermont, where he simulated the effects of climate change on cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Champlain. He obtained his doctoral degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering in 2017, where he also was a fellow in the interdisciplinary Water Diplomacy program. He has also conducted international development work in numerous Latin American countries and southeast Asia. While most of his recent USGS work has been statistical, Jory also has a background in climate change planning, water-resources management, decision-support methods, and geography and enjoys opportunities to weave these other interests into his USGS work.
Professional Experience
2019-present: Hydrologist, Integrated Modeling and Prediction Division, Water Resources Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey
2017-2019: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Vermont EPSCoR, University of Vermont
2013-2016: Graduate Research Assistant, Tufts University
2011-2013: NSF-IGERT Water Diplomacy Fellow, Tufts University
2009-2011: Graduate Research Assistant, Illinois State Water Survey
2009: Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2007-2008: Assistant Professional Scientist, Illinois State Water Survey
2004-2006: Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of California - Santa Barbara
2004: Administrative Coordinator, Central American Refugee Committee, Oakland
2002-2003: NGO volunteer, San Mateo Ixtatán, Guatemala
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Tufts University, 2017
M.Sc., Civil and Environmental Engineering - Hydrology and Hydraulics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011
M.A., Geography, University of California - Santa Barbara, 2007
B.A., Geography, International Development and Social Change, Clark University, 2002