Samuel Markolf

Dr. Samuel (Sam) Markolf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Merced, within the School of Engineering. His research integrates engineering, policy, and systems science to address urban sustainability and resilience challenges in the face of climate change and rapid technological and social transformation.

His research focuses on the resilience of interconnected social-ecological-technological systems (SETS), particularly in urban infrastructure. Key areas include transportation system responses to extreme events such as flooding and extreme heat, integrating climate projections into infrastructure design, and understanding how systemic interdependencies can either enhance or undermine resilience. He applies systems thinking to help decision-makers anticipate, prepare for, and respond to complex, large-scale disruptions.

While no publications are listed in the provided text, his research trajectory suggests strong contributions to civil and environmental engineering, urban systems, and sustainability science, with a transdisciplinary approach bridging engineering and public policy.

Dr. Markolf has been featured in academic speaker series, including at San José State University, highlighting the relevance and visibility of his work in the engineering community.

He previously served as a Research Fellow with the NSF-sponsored Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) at Arizona State University, demonstrating a strong foundation in federally funded, collaborative research on urban resilience.

Dr. Markolf holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and a joint Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. His interdisciplinary training underpins his holistic approach to engineering challenges in complex urban environments.