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Oceana Puananilei Francis

Oceana Puananilei Francis

Professor of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, with a joint appointment in Sea Grant College Program
Office: POST203D
Phone: (808) 956-6555
E-mail: oceanaf@hawaii.edu
Research website: cherlab.org

Areas of Specialty and Research Interest

Resilient urban communities and infrastructure systems from hydrodynamic hazards; circulation and transport in nearshore regions and oceans; wave hydrodynamics; sea level rise; sea ice affecting oceanic processes.

Education

  • Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 2012
  • M.Sc., Civil Engineering, University of Alaska, Anchorage, 2004
  • B.Sc., Civil Engineering, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK, 2002
  • B.Sc., Physics & Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1995

 Professional Registration

  • Professional Engineer (Civil), License No. 15223, State of Hawaii
  • Professional Engineer (Civil), License No. 11226, State of Alaska

Experience

  • Aug 2022+ Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
  • Aug 2018- Jul 2022 Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
  • Aug 2012- Jul 2018 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
  • Mar-Aug 2012, Post-Doctoral Fellow, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
  • 2005-2011, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
  • May-Aug 2009, Engineer, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Anchorage, AK
  • 2003-2005, Engineer, Tryck Nyman Hayes, Inc. Anchorage, AK
  • 2002-2003, Graduate Research Fellow, School of Engineering, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK
  • 2000-2002, Engineer, Village Safe Water, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Anchorage, AK

 Courses Taught (in the last five years)

  • CEE320: Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals (S’16, S’17, S’18, S’21)
  • CEE421: Engineering Hydraulics
  • CEE/SUST 440: Vulnerability & Adaptation on Coastal Infrastructure (S’16, F’20, S’22)
  • CEE489B: Surveying & AutoCAD (F’21, F’22)
  • CEE489C: Professional Ethics (F’21, F’22)
  • CEE490: Senior Design Project (S’22 Co-teach)
  • CEE622: Fluid Mechanics (F’17)
  • CEE/ORE/SUST 621: Coastal Flood Mitigation (F’22)
  • CEE/ORE/SUST 624: Coastal Modeling (F’21)
  • CEE691: Seminar in Civil and Environmental Engineering (F’16)
  • CEE696: Selected Topics in Civil Engr: Coastal Modeling (F’19)
  • CEE696: Selected Topics in Civil Engr: Coastal Flood Mitigation (F’19, F’20)

 Professional and Institutional Activities

  • Nov 2021+ Vice-Chair, Senate Executive Committee Faculty Senate, College of Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • May 2021+ Senator, Manoa Faculty Senate, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2021+ Faculty Advisor, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 1/2021-12/2021 BAM Program Coordinator and Undergraduate Advisor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2020+ Committee Member, Mapping Science Committee (MSC), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • 2020+ FEMA Instructor, National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2018+ Founder and President, Society of Native Hawaiian Engineers (SNHE)
  • 2018+ Editor, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, American Meteorological Society (JTECH-O AMS)
  • 2018+ Committee Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on 1) Civil Infrastructure and Lifeline Systems, 2) Disaster Response And Recovery, 3) Risk And Resilience Measurements Committee Member
  • 2016+ Cooperating Faculty, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering at University of Hawaii
  • 2014+ Lab Manager, Hydraulics Laboratory (Physical laboratory), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at University of Hawaii
  • 2012+ Affiliate Research Associate, Assistant Professor, International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, AK
  • 2008-2011 President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Fairbanks Branch
  • Co-Convener, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) 15th Annual Meeting, 2018
  • Scientific Review Committee, Co-Convener, and Closing Invited Speaker, Pacific Risk Management ‘Ohana (PRIMO) Conference, 2017
  • Convener, Ocean Sciences Meeting, 2014
  • Review Panel for: UH Sea Grant College Program 2014-2016 Biennial Grant Award Cycle; NSF Tribal College and Universities Program; Maui County
  • Peer Review for: NSF CMMI – Hazard Mit & Structural Engineering; Ocean Engineering; Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology; Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans; Geophysical Research Letters; Peer Review, Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres; Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

Awards and Honors

  • 2022 Hi Chang Chai Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2015, Inaugural Award for Exemplary Multi-Institutional and Regional Collaborations in the Service of Citizen Science, National Center for Science and Civic Engagement
  • 2010, Young Engineer of the Year Award, Alaska Society of Professional Engineers, Fairbanks Chapter
  • 2010, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Graduate Scholarship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
  • 2005-2007, College of Natural Science & Mathematics Graduate Fellowship, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • 2006-2007, Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MSPHDS) in Earth System Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Science Foundation
  • 2005, International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP) II Scholarship, Danish Polar Center
  • 2002-2003, Alaska Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Infrastructure and Systems for Cold Regions (ISCR) Graduate Fellowship, National Science Foundation and the State of Alaska

 

Research Grants ($400K+)

  1. Francis (co-PI), Development of a Nonlinear Reduced Order Modeling Framework For Marine Structures Operating in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Regions, NSF, $793,505, 01/22–12/24.
  2. Francis (co-PI), Evaluation of Sandsavers for Reduction of Erosion Rate and Shoreline Stabilization in Hawaii, HDOT, $ 442,593, 07/21–06/24.
  3. Francis (co-PI), Computation of Lateral Erosion Rates for Coastal Road Program, HDOT, $741,060, 04/21–03/24.
  4. Francis (PI), Assessment of County of Maui Coastal Roads for Effects of Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Shoreline Erosion, County of Maui, $659,085, 05/20–01/24.
  5. Francis (PI), Coastal Modeling and Hardening Testing, HDOT, $446,168, 01/20–12/21.
  6. Francis(PI), Statewide Highway Shoreline Protection Program Study Update, Task Agreement (2017-1A), HDOT, $700,000, 07/17 – 06/20.
  7. Francis (PI), Broadening Participation of Native Hawaiians for Engineering Faculty Careers, NSF, $660,720, 11/2015 – 10/2019.
  8. Francis (PI), Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers AND SonTek ARGONAUT-MD 600m single point doppler current meters, NDBC,  $409,402, 10/2015 –12/2016.

 Recent Selected Publications (*denotes O. Francis’ student(s)/postdocs)

  • Book Chapters

    1. Francis Oceana, Linqiang Yang*, Harrison Togia* and Gleb Panteleev (2021). Development of an Ocean Hazards Classification Scheme (OHCS) for Projecting Future Scenario Vulnerability Ranking on Coastal Built Infrastructure, In Coastal Environments. ISBN: 978-1-83881-038-2, https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94996.

    2. Stroh, J.N., S. Kirillov, G. Panteleev, O. Francis, M. Yaremchuk, E. Bloshkina and N. Lebedev (2018). Changes in Arctic Ocean Climate Evinced through Analysis of IPY 2007–2008 Oceanographic Observations, In Arctic Studies – A Proxy for Climate Change. ISBN 978-1-78984-100-8, https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80926.

    3. Francis, O., Coastal Adaptive Design and Adaptation, In Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Adaptive Design and Risk Management, MOP 140, American Society of Civil Engineers. (2018). ISBN 9780784415191, https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784415191.

    4. Panteleev G., M. Yaremchuk, V. Luchin, O. Francis, The Bering Sea Regional Data Assimilation System: From Climate Variability to Short Term Hindcasting,  In The Ocean in Motion – Circulation, Waves, Polar Oceanography, Springer Oceanography, (2017), ISBN 978-3-319-71933-7, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71934-4.

  • Articles

    1. Onat, Y.* and O. Francis (2021). Strong extratropical cyclone generated ocean swells in the Northern Pacific from modeling and in-situ observations on the Hawaiian Islands. Ocean Modelling, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101888.

    2. Brandes, H., O. Doygun, O. Francis, G. Zhang, C. Rossi*, L. Yang*, H. Togia* (2021). CRESI: A susceptibility index methodology to assess roads threatened by coastal erosion, Ocean & Coastal Management, 213, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105845.

    3. Pipko, I., S. Pugach, V. Luchin, O. Francis, N. Savelieva, A. Charkin, O. Dudarev, I. Semiletov (2021). Surface CO2 system dynamics in the Gulf of Anadyr during the open water season, Continental Shelf Research, 104371, ISSN 0278-4343, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2021.104371.

    4. Panteleev, G., Yaremchuk, M., Stroh, J. N., Francis, O. P., and Allard, R. (2020). Parameter Optimization in Sea Ice Models with Elastic-Viscoplastic Rheology, The Cryosphere, 14, 4427–4451, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4427-2020.

    5. Yang, L.* and O. Francis (2019). Sea-Level Rise and Vertical Land Motion on the Islands of Oahu and Hawaii, Hawaii. Advances in Space Research, 64(11), 2221-2232, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2019.08.028.

    6. Stroh, J.N., G. Panteleev, M. Yaremchuk, O. Francis, R. Allard (2019). Toward optimization of rheology in sea ice models through data assimilation. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0239.1.

    7. Francis, O., K. Kim, P. Pant (2019). Stakeholder assessment of coastal risks and mitigation strategies. Ocean & Coastal Management, 179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.104844.

    8. Togia, H.*, O. Francis, K. Kim, G. Zhang (2019). Segment-based approach for assessing hazard risk of coastal highways in Hawai’i. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Sage Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118821679.

    9. Kim, K., O. Francis, E. Yamashita (2018). Learning to Build Resilience into Transportation Systems. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Sage Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118786622.

    10. Onat, Y.*, M. Marchant*, O. Francis and K. Kim (2018). Coastal exposure of the Hawaiian Islands using GIS-based index modeling. Ocean & Coastal Management, 163, 113-129, ISSN 0964-5691, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.06.003.

    11. Onat, Y.*, O. Francis and K. Kim (2018). Vulnerability assessment and adaptation to sea level rise in high-wave environments: A case study on O’ahu, Hawai’i, Ocean & Coastal Management, 157, 147-159, ISSN 0964-5691, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.02.021.

    12. Francis, O., G. Panteleev, M. Yaremchuk, V. Luchin, J. Stroh, P. Posey, D. Herbert (2018). Observing System Simulation Experiments and Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis – methods for observational programs in the Arctic Ocean. Arctic, Vol. 71, Suppl. 1, 1-14, https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic4603.

    13. Francis, O.P., M. Yaremchuk, G.G. Panteleev, J. Zhang, and M. Kulakov (2017). Anomalous circulation in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean in July-December 2008. Ocean Modelling, 117, 12-27, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.06.006.

    14. Panteleev, G., M. Yaremchuk, O. Francis, P.J. Stabeno, T. Weingartner, and J. Zhang (2016), An inverse modeling study of circulation in the Eastern Bering Sea during 2007-2010. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 121, 3970-3989, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC011287.

    15. Panteleev G., M. Yaremchuk, O. Francis, T. Kikuchi (2013). Configuring High Frequency Radar observations in the Southern Chukchi Sea. Polar Science, 7(2), 72-81, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2013.01.001.

    16. Francis, O.P. and D.E. Atkinson (2012). Synoptic forcing of wave state in the southeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska, at an offshore location. Natural Hazards, Volume 62, Number 3, 1169-1189, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-012-0142-4.

    17. Francis, O.P. and D.E. Atkinson (2012). Synoptic forcing of wave state in the southeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska, at nearshore locations. Natural Hazards, Volume 62, Number 3, 1273-1300, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-012-0148-y.

    18. Francis, O.P., G.G. Panteleev, and D.E. Atkinson (2011), Ocean wave conditions in the Chukchi Sea from satellite and in situ observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L24610, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL049839.

 

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