Phu Nguyen

Biography

Phu Nguyen, Ph.D., is Associate Adjunct Professor at the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Nguyen received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine in 2014. His research focuses on satellite precipitation estimation using machine learning and deep learning techniques, hydrological modeling, and the development of early warning systems for natural hazards such as floods and droughts.

Nguyen has supervised ten Ph.D. students whose research has advanced satellite precipitation estimation through deep learning approaches, atmospheric river analysis, and hydrological modeling techniques. He serves as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on numerous funded projects totaling over $4 million, including grants from NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Water Resources, and the National Science Foundation. His work has contributed to the development of the PERSIANN family of global satellite precipitation products, which are widely used for hydrometeorological applications worldwide.

Nguyen received the 2019 International Data Prize from the World Meteorological Organization and the World Climate Research Programme's Global Climate Observing System. He has authored or co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal papers and has organized multiple international workshops on satellite precipitation estimation and water resources management in regions including Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Central Asia. Nguyen developed the CHRS Data Portal and iRain mobile application, which provide global access to near-real-time satellite precipitation data and support citizen science efforts in rainfall observation.

Education

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2014
• M.S. in Applied Science (Water Resources Management), University of Melbourne, Australia, 2008
• B.S. in Civil Engineering (Hydraulics – Water supply & Drainage), Bach Khoa University – Hochiminh City, Vietnam, 2003

Distinctions

• International Data Prize, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)/Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), 2019
• Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2012
• Student Research Fellowship, National Weather Service, NOAA, 2012-2014
• Chancellor's Club for Excellence Fellowship Award, Chancellor of University of California, Irvine, 2014
• Outstanding and Pioneer Educator Award, Orange County Engineering Council, 2019