Rafael O. Tinoco

Rafael O. Tinoco is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a B.S. from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (2005), and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University (2008, 2011). His research focuses on ecohydraulics, environmental fluid mechanics, and sediment transport dynamics, with applications in rivers, estuaries, and coastal systems. He leads the Ecohydraulics and Ecomorphodynamics Laboratory, studying biophysical interactions in aquatic environments.

Dr. Tinoco's work integrates experimental, numerical, and field approaches to address challenges like invasive species control, coastal protection, and climate change impacts. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles and edited conference volumes. Notable awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2018) and the 2023 Campus Distinguished Promotion Award. His teaching excellence has been recognized through multiple student rankings as 'Excellent.'

His research group investigates turbulence-driven processes affecting sediment transport, gas exchange across water-sediment interfaces, and the role of vegetation in modifying flow dynamics. Recent studies include porous obstacle hydrodynamics, bubble curtain technology for invasive species management, and the morphological evolution of wave-generated ripples.