Gregory Characklis

Gregory Characklis, PhD, is the W. R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. He also serves as Director of the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation (IRMII) and the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems (CoFiRES). His research focuses on evaluating and managing financial risks from natural hazards (e.g., floods, droughts, pandemics) through interdisciplinary modeling integrating engineering, economics, and data science. Characklis leads pan-campus initiatives supported by industry and federal partners, addressing risk mitigation for sectors such as water utilities, energy, agriculture, and real estate.

Education: PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering (Rice University, 1999), MS (Rice, 1994), BS in Materials Science (Johns Hopkins, 1989).

Research emphasizes financial risk from hydrometeorological variability, with innovations like index-based insurance instruments and adaptive water management contracts. Key projects include flood exposure mapping in North Carolina and resilience strategies for California’s water infrastructure. Characklis has received accolades for teaching and research, including the Newton Underwood Award for Excellence in Teaching and the ASCE Quentin Martin Award.

Service activities include leadership roles in AEESP, CUAHSI, and AGU; advisory roles for water policy initiatives; and editorial work for journals like Water Security and Water Resources Research. Collaborations span federal agencies, insurers, and financial institutions to design risk management tools.