Casey Dietrich

Associate Professor

Dr. Dietrich pursues research in the predictive modeling of coastal hazards, especially storm surge, flooding, and erosion along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts. His models have been used for the design of surge mitigation systems by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for floodplain risk assessment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and to support operational forecasting for the Department of Homeland Security. He has also applied these models in forecasting of storm surge, as well as oil transport following the BP spill in 2010.

Dr. Dietrich received three degrees from the University of Oklahoma before moving to the University of Notre Dame for his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. Then he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and research associate for three years at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

At NC State, Dr. Dietrich teaches courses in fluid mechanics and coastal engineering, including the undergraduate course CE 282 Hydraulics, and the graduate courses CE 580 Coastal Modeling, CE 581 Fluid Mechanics in Natural Environments, and CE 582 Coastal Hydrodynamics.
 

 

Education

Ph.D. 2011

Civil Engineering

University of Notre Dame

M.S. 2005

Civil Engineering

University of Oklahoma

B.S. 2004

Civil Engineering

University of Oklahoma

B.A. 2004

Journalism

University of Oklahoma

Research Description

My research focuses on applying numerical models to enhance physical understanding of and develop predictive capabilities for coastal engineering processes, especially storm-driven hazards of coastal flooding and erosion. I am a leading developer of the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model, which is used widely for real-time forecasting, analysis and design of coastal infrastructure, and development of risk maps for insurance purposes.

My research has three focii: (1) Extend model capabilities, via how density-driven circulation and transport affect coastal hazards, how coastal erosion is linked with regional circulation, how uncertainties in storm characteristics can propagate into uncertainties in coastal flooding, and how coastal infrastructure is vulnerable to multiple hazards; (2) Improve model efficiency, via how to use higher-resolution information to correct predictions of coastal flooding, and how to optimize the performance of storm surge simulations; and (3) Communicate flooding guidance, via how to use our flooding predictions to support decision-making.

Honors and Awards

  • Outstanding Teacher Award, NC State University, 2018

Publications

Adaptation pathways for climate change resilience on barrier islands
Anderson, D., Dietrich, J. C., Spiegler, S., & Cothron, C. (2022), Shore and Beach, 2, 16–26. https://doi.org/10.34237/1009012
Effects of Model Resolution and Coverage on Storm-Driven Coastal Flooding Predictions
Thomas, A., Dietrich, J. C., Dawson, C. N., & Luettich, R. A. (2022), JOURNAL OF WATERWAY PORT COASTAL AND OCEAN ENGINEERING, 148(1). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000687
Emulator For Eroded Beach And Dune Profiles Due To Storms
Gharagozlou, A., Anderson, D. L., Gorski, J. F., & Dietrich, J. C. (2022), JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE, 127(8). https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jf006620
Numerical extensions to incorporate subgrid corrections in an established storm surge model
Begmohammadi, A., Wirasaet, D., Poisson, A., Woodruff, J. L. L., Dietrich, J. C., Bolster, D., & Kennedy, A. B. B. (2022, December 28), COASTAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, Vol. 12. https://doi.org/10.1080/21664250.2022.2159290
Downscaling of real-time coastal flooding predictions for decision support
Rucker, C. A., Tull, N., Dietrich, J. C., Langan, T. E., Mitasova, H., Blanton, B. O., … Luettich, R. A., Jr. (2021), NATURAL HAZARDS, 107(2), 1341–1369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04634-8
Dynamic load balancing for predictions of storm surge and coastal flooding
Roberts, K. J., Dietrich, J. C., Wirasaet, D., Pringle, W. J., & Westerink, J. J. (2021), ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105045
Formation of a barrier island breach and its contributions to lagoonal circulation
Gharagozlou, A., Dietrich, J. C., Massey, T. C., Anderson, D. L., Gorski, J. F., & Overton, M. F. (2021), ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE, 262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107593
Improving coastal flooding predictions by switching meshes during a simulation
Thomas, A., Dietrich, J. C., Loveland, M., Samii, A., & Dawson, C. N. (2021), OCEAN MODELLING, 164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101820
Methodology for Regional Multihazard Hurricane Damage and Risk Assessment
Nofal, O. M., Lindt, J. W., Do, T. Q., Yan, G., Hamideh, S., Cox, D. T., & Dietrich, J. C. (2021), JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, 147(11). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0003144
Subgrid corrections in finite-element modeling of storm-driven coastal flooding
Woodruff, J. L., Dietrich, J. C., Wirasaet, D., Kennedy, A. B., Bolster, D., Silver, Z., … Kolar, R. L. (2021), OCEAN MODELLING, 167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101887

View all publications via NC State Libraries

View publications on Google Scholar