Margaret GarciaView profile
Associate Professor
Margaret Garcia is an Associate Professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment , Arizona State University (ASU). She is affiliated with multiple research centers, including the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment (CBIE) , Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research , Earth Systems Science for the Anthropocene , Water Institute , and Global Futures Scientists and Scholars . Education: Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University (2017) M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering and B.A., International Studies, Lafayette College (2004) Her research focuses on the sustainability and resilience of urban water systems , using systems analysis to study feedbacks in coupled human-hydrological systems . Key themes include reservoir operations , adaptive infrastructure , water policy , and real-time flood monitoring . Recent work explores equity in water management , institutional dynamics , and green infrastructure optimization . Her 15 most recent publications span topics in socio-hydrology , water policy analysis , climate change adaptation , and urban flood modeling , with applications to the Western Water Network , Colorado River Basin , and transboundary regions like Ambos Nogales. Collaborative projects include NSF-funded initiatives on adaptive reservoir operations , cross-scale interactions , and community-based flood awareness . Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Grant 1942370 (2020) She mentors students in Ph.D. programs (e.g., Ashish Shrestha , Behshad Mohajer ) and Master’s programs (e.g., Dillon Nys , Krista Lawless ). Her teaching includes graduate courses on research, reading, and thesis advising, alongside undergraduate hydrology classes.







