Venkatesh Merwade

Venkatesh Merwade is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Purdue University's College of Engineering. He teaches CE 54200 Hydrology, an upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate course for civil engineering, environmental engineering, agricultural engineering, and agronomy students.

His research focuses on hydrology and flood modeling, with particular expertise in river channel hydraulics, flood frequency analysis, and HEC-RAS modeling applications. His work bridges theoretical hydrologic concepts with practical flood hazard analysis, addressing critical societal issues related to flooding disasters in the United States and globally.

Dr. Merwade has integrated flood hazard modeling into his teaching through the GETSI (GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues) module, which helps students connect conceptual hydrologic topics with data and modeling tools to address real-world flooding issues. His approach emphasizes team-based learning and practical implementation of hydrologic concepts.

His teaching methodology includes two 50-minute lecture sessions and one 50-minute lab session per week, with a student enrollment of approximately 30 upper-level undergraduate and entry-level graduate students.