Prof. Caterina Valeo, PhD, PEng.

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Welcome

Dr. Caterina Valeo is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria and an Adjunct Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary. Her research program develops environmental informatics tools for application to urban water resources engineering.

Dr. Valeo’s research team uses a variety of hardware, software, field and laboratory approaches to find sustainable solutions for mitigating the impacts of increasing urbanization and climate change on water resources.

Environmental Informatics: β€œResearch and system development focusing on the environmental sciences relating to the creation, collection, storage, processing, modelling, interpretation, display and dissemination of data and information.”
β€” UK Natural Environment Research Council

πŸŽ“ Open Positions βœ‰οΈ Email Dr. Valeo

Urban Forestry & Climate Change Mitigation

Tackling Climate Change One Tree At A Time - Featured in Chatelaine Magazine, April 2024

Dr. Valeo is leading a groundbreaking three-year research project funded by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, in collaboration with the City of Vancouver and researchers from the University of Victoria and University of Calgary. The project focuses on designing urban forests to combat extreme heat and the urban heat island effect exacerbated by climate change.

Key Innovation: Using Rainwater Tree Trenches (RTTs) - an innovative approach that combines stormwater management with urban cooling. RTTs use structural soil and underground filtration systems to grow full-canopy mature trees faster, creating natural cooling corridors through wind-tunnel effects.

Impact: The research will provide optimal designs for tree placement and configuration in Vancouver, with findings to be shared globally with other cities facing similar climate challenges.


Research Areas

🌊 Sustainable Development of Urban Water Resources

This research investigates the efficacy of low impact development (LID) options such as permeable pavements and bioretention cells in Canadian climates. The goal is to provide optimal designs and prediction models that can withstand harsh winter conditions while effectively managing stormwater.

Key Projects:

  • HAL Project: Hydraulic analysis of LID systems
  • Bioretention Cell Detoxification Research
  • Permeable Pavement Performance in Cold Climates

Collaborators: Dr. Angus Chu, Dr. Jianxun He (University of Calgary), Dr. Rishi Gupta, Dr. Rustom Bhiladvala (University of Victoria)

πŸ’§ Water Quality Modelling

Development of modelling and monitoring programs that provide insight into:

  • Impacts of pollutants on rivers and nearshore areas
  • Environmental influences on well water contamination
  • Microbial contamination in water bodies

Study Sites: Bow River, Elbow River (Alberta), nearshore areas of the Capital Regional District (Victoria), well water systems throughout Alberta

Collaborators: Dr. Usman Khan, Dr. Jennifer He, Dr. Angus Chu, Dr. Cathryn Ryan, Dr. Norman Neumann, Dr. Sylvia Checkley

πŸ›°οΈ Geomatics & Remote Sensing

Application of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools in support of:

  • Snow cover modelling
  • Leaf area index estimation
  • Forest regeneration process modelling
  • Duff moisture and fire prediction

Collaborator: Dr. Ed Johnson (University of Calgary)


Contact Information

Dr. Caterina Valeo, PEng
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700, STN CSC
Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada

πŸ“§ Email: valeo@uvic.ca
πŸ“ž Phone: (250) 721-8623

Adjunct Professor, Civil Engineering
University of Calgary
πŸ“§ Email: valeo@ucalgary.ca