Noah Schmadel

EDUCATION

     Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering, December 2014

          Utah State University, Logan, Utah, Advisor: Dr. Bethany Neilson

     Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering, December 2009

          Utah State University, Logan, Utah, Advisor: Dr. Bethany Neilson

     Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, May 2006

          Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Sustainable management of water resources including both water quality and quantity
• Integrated hydro-terrestrial constituent modeling and data collection strategies to forecast regional water quality outcomes
• Dominant river corridor components including hyporheic zones, floodplains, and ponded waters
• Hydrologic and chemical alterations caused by land use and water resource decisions

ENGINEERING AND MODELING TOOLS

• Developing regional water quality models and improving their physical basis (SAS, SPARROW)
• Hydroinformatics including data mining, standardization, preservation, and transferability (R, Python, Matlab, SQL Server, Visual Basic)
• Contaminant and heat transport modeling through surface water and groundwater systems including calibration, sensitivity analyses, and numerical and analytical solution techniques (COMSOL Multiphysics)
• Identifying cumulative and relative effects of river corridor processes (NHD)
• Assessing hydro-chemical alterations caused by land use and water resource decisions (NLCD, NWIS)
• Stream channel and watershed characterization techniques using remotely-sensed imagery and topographic analyses (LiDAR-derived DEMs, thermal infrared imagery, ArcGIS)

EXPERIENCE

Hydrologist, October 2020-Present, U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center

• Providing predictive modeling to support national to local water availability challenges

Research Hydrologist, Mendenhall Fellow, August 2019-Present, U.S. Geological Survey, Earth System Processes Division, Reston, Virginia, Advisory board: Drs. G Schwarz, C Konrad, D Wolock, and J Harvey

• Dynamic national hydro-terrestrial constituent model • Build and calibrate non-linear multi-regression models to make seasonal regional water quality predictions • Use physically-based approaches to explain and improve regional water quality observations and predictions • Quantify role of nutrient legacies

Postdoctoral Researcher, February 2017-August 2019, U.S. Geological Survey, Earth System Processes Division, Reston, Virginia, Advisor: Dr. Judson Harvey

• National river corridor water quality model • Built and calibrated nonlinear least squares regression models to make regional water quality predictions • Used physically-based approaches to explain and improve regional water quality observations and predictions • Led projects as part of the USGS JW Powell Center River Corridor Synthesis Working Group

Postdoctoral Researcher, February 2015-February 2017, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, Advisor: Dr. Adam Ward

• Dynamic watershed-scale stream and reactive transport modeling • Led, designed, and coordinated hydrologic field experiments in a wide variety of environmental conditions • Built and calibrated finite-element groundwater flow models • Developed tools to quantify river network characteristics from remotely-sensed data • Mentored and trained others

Adjunct Faculty, August-December 2016, Environmental Engineering: Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

• Full course design • Designed course to teach engineering principles to students of various disciplines • Developed learning objectives, assignments, and examinations • Developed and delivered lectures to achieve learning objectives • Mentored a teaching assistant and received excellent teaching evaluations

Graduate Research Assistant, June 2007-January 2015, Utah Water Research Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, Advisor: Dr. Bethany Neilson

• Stream solute and heat transport modeling • Developed expertise in field-based hydrologic, meteorological, and water quality data collection techniques • Led, designed, and coordinated hydrologic field experiments in a wide variety of environmental conditions • Developed statistical tools to identify trends and quantify uncertainty • Solved stream contaminant and heat transport models using numerical and analytical techniques • Calibrated models and performed sensitivity analyses using remotely-sensed thermal infrared imagery • Excellent management and care of field equipment • Mentored and trained others

Graduate Teaching Assistant, January-May 2011 & 2012, Physical and Chemical Processes, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah

• Teaching of laboratory practices and data analyses • Prepared and taught laboratory experiments • Trained students how to conduct themselves effectively and safely in a laboratory setting • Trained students how to analyze and interpret data to provide recommendations

Laboratory Technician, September 2005-May 2006, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona

• Using algae for water treatment and renewable energy sources • Developed expertise in wet chemistry and laboratory procedures and practices • Designed and built bioreactors for the cultivation of algae to support research in water treatment and renewable energy, which are still in use today • Valued for conscientious attitude and strong laboratory skills

Wildland Firefighter, May-September 2003, 2004, 2005, & 2006, USDA Forest Service, Sedona, Arizona

• Wild fire suppression and management • Developed extensive knowledge of wild fire suppression and management • Promoted to lead crew member in 2005, responsible for coordinating a team under extremely harsh and stressful conditions • Detailed as lieutenant in 2006, successful with the full operation and care of a fire engine • Awarded Certificate of Merit for a positive attitude and for promoting safety