Dr. Caterina Valeo

Biography

Caterina Valeo is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria. She earned her PhD from McMaster University. Her research focuses on Environmental Informatics, specifically in areas such as disturbance modeling in forested regions, sustainable urban development, water resources, and the analysis of climate change impacts. She develops and utilizes complex hydrological models that take into account the life cycle of pine beetles and forest infestation scenarios to predict water yields in managed watersheds. Dr. Valeo's work addresses the implications of large-scale disturbances, such as forest fires, on watershed hydrology, with applications in forest management. She also explores low impact development (LID) strategies in urban settings, studying tools like bioretention cells and permeable pavements to improve stormwater management. Moreover, her research utilizes artificial neural networks to enhance the accuracy of rainfall and flood frequency analysis, which is crucial for the design of water infrastructure. Her contributions include advanced models that integrate hydrological and water quality assessments to predict ecological impacts in rivers affected by wastewater discharge.

Research Interests