Laura Szczyrba

PhD Geological Sciences

Research Interests

Storm surge, erosion, coastal hydrodynamics, flood impacts and mitigation

About Laura

Laura Szczyrba (she/her) returned to graduate school after witnessing the devastating impacts of flooding during disaster response deployments to Louisiana and Puerto Rico. Using modeling and remote sensing techniques, Laura quantifies high-energy storm dynamics that threaten coastal populations. Beyond studying the hazard, Laura pursues a holistic understanding of community vulnerabilities and impacts, recognizing that these challenges require interdisciplinary solutions.

Laura received an M.S. in Geosciences and a certificate in Disaster Resilience and Risk Management from Virginia Tech. Her master’s research applied machine learning approaches to investigate the physical and social drivers of hurricane damage. Her prior degrees include a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Virginia. While at the University of Virginia, her area of research was coral reef hydrodynamics. Following undergrad, she worked for a few years on the Coastal Team at Dewberry Engineers Inc., where she contributed to flood hazard mitigation and disaster response projects.

Awards

Fellowships and Grants

• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2023-2024)
• National Science Foundation (NSF) International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Fellow: Leveraging Dutch Expertise in Advanced Techniques for Water Management (2023)
• Queen's School of Graduate Studies Student Initiatives Award (2023)
• Queen’s University Dean’s Donation Fund Award (2022)
• Queen's University School of Graduate Studies Doctoral Award (2020-24)
• Queen's University Graduate Award (2020-24)
• Student Challenge Research Grant, US Coastal Research Program (2019)
• Disaster Resilience and Risk Management Fellowship, NSF-NRT (2018)
• CURC Zero Waste Grant, College and University Recycling Coalition (2015)
• From the Grounds up Grant, University of Virginia Office for Sustainability (2015)
• Service Grant, University of Virginia Parents Committee (2014)

Awards and Certifications

• First Place Oral Presentation Award - Advances in Earth Sciences Research Conference (2023)
• Honorable Mention, Virginia Tech Hazards Research Day (2019)
• Dewberry at Work Award - Perseverance, Dewberry Engineers Inc. (2018)
• Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), Association of State Floodplain Managers (2017)
• Dewberry at Work Award - Contribution, Dewberry Engineers Inc. (2016)
• Wallace Poole Prize, University of Virginia Environmental Sciences (2016)
• Intermediate Honors, University of Virginia (2014)

Publications

Scientific Articles

• Szczyrba, L., Mulligan, R.P., Humberston, J., Bak, A.S., McNinch, J., Pufahl, P.K. (2023). Nearshore wave angles and directional variability during storm events. Coastal Engineering, 104372, ISSN 0378-3839.
• Szczyrba, L., Shawler, J., Rezaie, A. M., Constant, V. (2022). Exploring diverse perspectives of coastal resilience: The state of resilience model. Shore & Beach, 90(4), 18-27.
• Szczyrba, L. (2022). Imaging coastal waves with radar. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 3(7), 423-423.
• Szczyrba, L., Zhang, Y., Pamukcu, D., Eroglu, D. I., & Weiss, R. (2021). Quantifying the Role of Vulnerability in Hurricane Damage via a Machine Learning Case Study. Natural Hazards Review, 22(3), 04021028.
• Reidenbach, M. A., Stocking, J. B., Szczyrba, L., & Wendelken, C. (2021). Hydrodynamic interactions with coral topography and its impact on larval settlement. Coral Reefs, 40(2), 505-519.

Media Publications

• Szczyrba, L. (2021).Hurricane damage harms the most vulnerable, reveals inequality and social divides. The Conversation, Academic Journalism Society.

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