Sam Markolf

Sam Markolf is an Assistant Professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) department at the School of Engineering, University of California, Merced. He is affiliated with the Environmental Systems (ES) graduate group and focuses on advancing sustainability and resilience in urban and infrastructure systems through interdisciplinary research.

• Ph.D., 2015 — Carnegie Mellon University (Civil & Environmental Engineering; Engineering & Public Policy)
• M.S., 2012 — Carnegie Mellon University (Civil & Environmental Engineering)
• B.S., 2011 — The University of Texas at Austin (Chemical Engineering)

His research explores the intersection of social, ecological, and technological systems (SETS) to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, systems thinking, and risk analysis under uncertainty. His work emphasizes reimagining infrastructure for adaptability in the Anthropocene, integrating biomimicry, and leveraging AI for resilient systems.

Key trends in his publications include climate-resilient infrastructure design, SETS frameworks, mobile sensing for environmental monitoring, and policy analysis for greenhouse gas reduction. His work bridges theoretical systems modeling with practical urban planning challenges.