Bonnie Ludka

Dr. Bonnie Ludka is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt), specializing in coastal science, engineering, and management. Her research focuses on understanding interactions between waves, currents, sediment transport, and environmental management to enhance coastal resilience. She holds a B.S. in Physics from James Madison University and M.S./Ph.D. in Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

Dr. Ludka teaches courses such as ENGR 416 (Transport Phenomena), ENGR 496 (FE Review), and ENGR 225 (Computational Methods for Engineering), emphasizing engineering design and computational skills. She is actively involved in developing a new Data Science major at the university.

Her research group investigates coastal processes including shoreline change, sea-level rise adaptation, and human impacts on coastal ecosystems. They prioritize community-driven solutions and collaborate with Indigenous groups like the Wiyot Tribe to address environmental management challenges. Notable projects include early warning systems for coastal flooding and studies on sediment dynamics in nourished beaches.

• Key Research Themes: Coastal resilience, climate change impacts, sediment transport modeling, and Indigenous partnerships
• Teaching: Integrates fieldwork, computational tools, and real-world problem-solving
• Community Engagement: Land acknowledgments and environmental justice advocacy