Reza Khanbilvardi

Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi is a Professor of Civil Engineering at The City College of New York (CCNY), CUNY. He serves as the Executive Director of the CUNY Remote Sensing of the Earth Institute and co-Executive Director of the United Nations University Hub (R-SIRUS). His leadership roles include founding and directing NOAA Cooperative Science Centers (CREST/CESSRST) from 2001-2021. He holds advanced degrees from Penn State University and has led over $100M in research grants from agencies like NOAA, NASA, and NSF.

Dr. Khanbilvardi's research focuses on satellite-based remote sensing applications in hydro-climate studies, including flood modeling, climate change impacts, and water resources management. His work integrates machine learning, hydrological modeling, and geospatial technologies. Notable contributions include urban flood prediction systems for NYC, disaster resilience frameworks, and validation of snow/precipitation models.

He has authored over 220 peer-reviewed publications, edited five books, and holds professional engineering licenses in NY/CT. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives like the CREST-SAFE field experiments and the UNU-Hub's socio-technical research on critical infrastructure resilience. His education initiatives include training programs for underrepresented STEM students through NOAA-funded partnerships.

Labs/Teams: CUNY-CREST Institute, UNU-Hub R-SIRUS, Earth System Science & Environmental Engineering Program.