College of Engineering doctoral student earns Impact Scholars Fellowship to support his research on mitigating the impacts of climate extremes and ecological degradation
The aerial view shows the flood-affected areas of the Nakhu river in the Tikabhairab region of southern Lalitpur, Nepal, on Oct. 1, 2024. (Envato stock).
Ziqi Guo, an incoming Ph.D. student in the environmental engineering program in the College of Engineering (CoE), has been awarded an Impact Scholars Fellowship that supports his research to innovate models and data-driven tools to assess and mitigate the impacts of climate change, extreme weather, and ecological degradation.
The Impact Scholar Fellowships are awarded by UConn to incoming Ph.D. students who, beyond academic excellence, have demonstrated leadership potential and a willingness to create positive changes. Guo's former research focused on modeling global sediment connectivity in the context of a greening planet, and understanding how extreme events such as landslides, wildfires, and floods disrupt sediment transport pathways across diverse landscapes.
"Using satellite observations, global disaster inventories, and process-based models, I aim to reveal how environmental hazards reshape the physical landscape and influence human societies," Guo explains. "I'm particularly excited to join Dr. Wang's Lab at UConn. Her group's strengths in climate modeling, land-atmosphere interactions, and hydrological extremes provide an ideal foundation for expanding my research. Together, we hope to develop tools that inform climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, and sustainable land management at both regional and global scales."
In the short term, Guo says, this fellowship allows him to focus on his dissertation research in developing AI and process-based models to quantify the impact of extreme events. In the long term, he hopes to translate their work and research into actionable strategies and policies that support communities in their efforts to better understand and mitigate environmental hazards locally, in Connecticut, and globally.
Guo's major advisor, Guiling Wang, is a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
"Ziqi is a highly accomplished young scholar, having already published three journal articles with a couple more in review," says Wang. "He is extremely self-driven and has a contagious passion about research. We are very grateful to the Impact Scholars Fellowship that affords us the opportunity to recruit a student of Ziqi's caliber. As his advisor, I am confident that Ziqi will flourish as a Ph.D. student in my lab, and I look forward to working with him in the years to come."
Guo also talks about the importance of mentoring and interdisciplinary learning.
"This fellowship not only empowers my research but also strengthens my ability to give back to the UConn community through mentoring, organizing academic initiatives, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration," Guo says. "I'm truly honored and excited to receive this fellowship. This award is not only a tremendous recognition of my academic journey so far, but also a crucial support that enables me to fully dedicate myself to advancing societally impactful research."
