M. Levent Kavvas

Professor Levent Kavvas is pictured in a blue dress shirt

Position Title
Distinguished Professor

  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
3165 Ghausi
Bio

Dr. Kavvas’ areas of specialization include assessment of climate change impact by mathematical modeling of the coupled hydrologic-atmospheric processes at watershed, regional and continental scales. The in-house-developed regional and watershed-scale coupled hydrologic-atmospheric numerical models are also used for the simulation and forecasting of hydrologic water balances and hydrologic extremes toward quantifying and estimating phenomena such as  floods and droughts, and forecasting water supply at watershed and regional scales. The mathematical modeling of hydrologic processes at regional, watershed and hillslope scales are also used toward planning and management of water resources at these scales. Physics-based stochastic models are developed for investigating contaminant transport by inland surface waters, unsaturated soil water flow and groundwater flow. Physical modeling of fish ecological hydraulics are performed at J. Amorocho Hydraulics Laboratory.

Awards & Honors

  • 2023 ASCE/EWRI Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2019 Distinguished Member, ASCE
  • 2016 Croess Medal, ASCE
  • 2016 Best Paper, ASCE JHE
  • 2015 International Award from The Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources
  • 2014 The Advisory Committee Climate Services Award from CA DWR, November, 2014
  • 2014 Distinguished Professor, University of California, Davis, July
  • 2014- Gerald and Lillian Orlob Endowed Chair Professor of Water Resources Engineering
  • 2009 ASCE Ven Te Chow Award (The highest honor that can be bestowed by American Society of Civil Engineers to a Hydrologic Engineer)
  • 2009 Ven Te Chow Award Lecturer, ASCE
  • 2008 ASCE Fellow
  • 2006 ASCE/EWRI JHE Best paper award
  • 2001 ASCE Arid Lands Hydraulic Engineering Award
  • 1999 ASCE Richard Torrens Award
  • Listed in American Men and Women of Science.
Education and Degree(s)
  • Ph.D.: Civil Engineering, in the Hydraulics and Systems area; Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana (as Fulbright Scholar and Purdue University Victor O’Shaughnessy Fellow)
  • M.S.: Civil Engineering, in the Hydrology and Water Resources Program, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado (as Fulbright Scholar)
Research Interests & Expertise
  • Mathematical modeling of the integrated hydrologic-atmospheric processes at global, continental, regional and watershed scales for the simulation and prediction of hydrologic water balances and extremes.
  • Quantifying phenomena such as floods and droughts; mathematical modeling of hydrologic processes at regional, watershed and hillslope scales.
  • Investigations on the mathematical modeling of contaminant transport by inland surface waters, unsaturated flow and groundwater flow.
  • Physical hydraulic modeling of ecological hydraulics.

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