Guiling Wang

Guiling Wang is a Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut, specializing in land-atmosphere interactions, surface hydrology, and climate change impacts. Her research integrates hydrological and climatological processes to address critical environmental challenges, with recent work focusing on drought mechanisms, extreme precipitation events, and agricultural climate vulnerabilities across diverse regions including the US, South America, and Africa.

Dr. Wang received her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000. Her educational background established the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach combining engineering, climate science, and environmental systems analysis.

Her research program centers on five interconnected domains:

• Land-Atmosphere Interactions: Quantifying energy/water/carbon exchanges and feedback mechanisms driving extreme events
• Surface Hydrology: Modeling water fluxes from soil to atmosphere with advanced plant hydraulics integration
• Climate Variability & Change: Analyzing historical trends and projecting future scenarios using regional climate models
• Climate Impacts: Assessing agricultural vulnerabilities to heat stress, drought, and precipitation extremes
• Ecosystem-Climate Interactions: Studying vegetation feedbacks on carbon cycling and climate sensitivity

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals three dominant research thrusts: (1) Development of machine learning frameworks for climate downscaling and extreme event prediction, (2) Mechanistic studies of land-surface feedbacks in compound drought-heat extremes, and (3) Translational research on climate impacts for agricultural systems in vulnerable regions. Her work consistently bridges fundamental process understanding with practical applications for water resource management and food security.

As a professor at UConn, Dr. Wang leads the Hydroclimatology Research Group (accessible through hydroclimatology.uconn.edu), mentoring graduate students in climate modeling, hydrological analysis, and environmental data science. Her research program receives support from federal agencies including NSF and NOAA, enabling field campaigns, model development, and international collaborations focused on climate resilience.

The Hydroclimatology Lab operates as an interdisciplinary hub where numerical modeling, remote sensing, and in-situ observations converge to study water-climate-ecosystem interactions. Current projects emphasize subseasonal forecasting capabilities, drought early warning systems, and climate adaptation strategies for agricultural communities facing increasing hydroclimatic volatility.