LEAP Research Updates: Candace Agonafir, Noa Urbach and Christina Torres

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Abstract: Due to a changing climate and increased urbanization, an escalation of urban flooding occurrences and its aftereffects are ever more dire. Notably, the frequency of extreme storms is expected to increase, and as built environments impede the absorption of water, the threat of loss of human life and property damages exceeding billions of dollars are heightened. Hence, agencies and organizations are implementing novel modeling methods to combat the consequences. This review details the concepts, impacts, and causes of urban flooding, along with the associated modeling endeavors. Moreover, this review describes contemporary directions toward urban flood resolutions, including the more recent hydraulic-hydrologic models that use modern computing architecture and the trending applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques and crowdsourced data. Ultimately, a reference of utility is provided, as scientists and engineers are given an outline of the recent advances in urban flooding research.

Bio: Candace Agonafir has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the CUNY, a M.S. in Industrial Engineering from NYU, and a B.S. in Physical Science with a concentration in Physics and a minor in Catholic Theology from St. John’s University. Her past research involved utilizing regression and machine learning methodologies to provide invaluable information towards advancements in urban flooding detection, prediction and prevention. Ultimately, by the continuous adoption of improved and contemporary machine learning techniques, she aims to become an established, impactful, and consistent contributor within the field of civil engineering water resources via Artificial Intelligence.

Abstract: Although BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities are more concerned about climate change, the global youth climate justice movement is disproportionately White. In this study we focus on the role of teachers and schools in shaping climate activism. Specifically, we explore educators’ perceptions of students’ engagement with climate change. Applying a mixed methods approach, we used survey data from New York City (n=1,358) and found that most educators do not perceive their students as engaged with climate change. Multivariate analyses reveal that disparities in educators’ perceptions favored White students and students from advantaged backgrounds over others. Then, we facilitated eight focus groups with educators from various backgrounds (n=40) to further explore those results. We find evidence of variation across levels of education and educators’ attitudes. We discuss the implications of our findings for advancing equity through climate change education.

Noa Urbach (she/her) is a social entrepreneur, climate advocate, and a master's student in the International Education and Development program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a graduate research assistant at the TC Center for Sustainable Futures, and Columbia Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics. Before joining TC, Noa co-founded Helpi, a non-profit online platform based in Israel, that connects thousands of people in need with those who can support them through micro-volunteering opportunities. She is also the co-founder of Pendulum, a creative agency that produces workshops, films, and campaigns for social causes. Thanks to these efforts, Noa was shortlisted for Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020. Currently, Noa resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

Christina Torres (she/her) is a doctoral student in Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a graduate research assistant working on climate change education with the TC Center for Sustainable Futures. Christina is also an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), where she teaches an Ecology and Environmental Problems course to students pursuing sustainable fashion. She was previously the co-founder and chief scientific officer of the B2B SaaS startup See Thru (formerly Skinno) with the goal of democratizing the scientific information behind consumer goods. Christina completed a B.S./M.S. at the City College of New York (CUNY), and studied the community composition of Neotropical wood boring beetles.

CANDACE AGONAFIR (Columbia)

NOA URBACH (Teachers College)

CHRISTINA TORRES (Teachers College)

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Columbia Innovation Hub Room 202, 2276 12th Avenue, New York, United States