UEDLAB | Urban Ecology and Design Laboratory

A group of practitioners, government officials were Interviewed as part of a larger discussion about flooding and climate change concerns. The group included:

Ryan Hanrahan - Chief Meteorologist at NBC Connecticut; his blog is called On Ryan’s Radar (@ryanhanrahan)

Erik Ofgang - Senior Writer at Connecticut Magazine (@erikofgang)

Dr. Alexander Felson - Ecologist, landscape architect, and associate professor at the Yale School of Architecture(@alex_felson)

George Kral - Town Planner for the Town of Guilford, Connecticut

A view of West Haven’s coastline. During storm events, coastal areas like these are inundated with sea water posing risks to nearby communities. Given the expected rate of sea level rise, these coastlines will soon be permanently flooded if no action is taken.

Taken for the UED Lab’s SCRCOG East Haven and West Haven Coastal Resilience Project.

A view of coastal houses along Cosey Beach Ave in East Haven, CT. 

The UEDLab has been working with CIRCA and SCRCOG to develop a coastal resilience plan for East Haven and West Haven, CT. The plan focuses on defending houses that are vulnerable to flood damage due to sea level rise and storm surge while protecting local wetlands. 

This summer the UED Lab has several undergraduate research assistants working on the thermoGreenwall (tGW) project. Here is a little bit more about the tGWsters.

Name: Connor “Chlorophyll” Duwan

Year: Class of 2020

Major: Undeclared

Preference of bagel, given a limited variety: Everything bagel

Preference of bagel, given unlimited variety: Sesame seed with cream cheese and bacon

About Connor: Connor is a rising sophomore from New Jersey, but recently moved to Connecticut. Originally joining the UED Lab to work on coastal adaptation projects, Connor is outsourced by the tGW team twice a week to measure chlorophyll and anthocyanin levels for plant measurements and gives the tGW team members rides at the 5 AM in the morning. Thanks, Connor!

Fun fact: Connor is on Sabrosura, Yale’s Latin dance team. His agility and grace make him a perfect candidate for collecting leaf data!

This summer the UED Lab has several undergraduate research assistants working on the thermoGreenwall (tGW) project. Here is a little bit more about the tGWsters.

Name: Mitchell “Microclimate” Weldon

Year: Class of 2017

Major: Environmental Engineering

Preference of bagel, given a limited variety: N/A, probably a latte

About Mitchell: Mitchell recently graduated from Yale College summa cum laude and has been working with the UED Lab for several years now, which means he’s definitely the smartest student on the tGW team. He occasionally uses the term “y’all,” which reveals the fact that he’s from Texas. He runs microclimate studies for the tGW and collects spectral reflectance data for plant measurements.

Fun fact: Mitchell has a colorful collection of socks.

This summer the UED Lab has several undergraduate research assistants working on the thermoGreenwall (tGW) project. Here is a little bit more about the tGWsters. 

Name: Kevin “Retriever Boy” Koste (pronounced “KAWS-tuh”)

Year: Class of 2019

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Preference of bagel, given a limited variety: Poppy seed

About Kevin: Kevin is a rising junior from New York. On the plant measurement side, he is responsible for retrieving plants from the wall for photosynthesis and pigment measurements, and then returning the plants to their rightful place on the wall. He also dabbles in hydroponics and has a penchant for making conference calls. 

Fun fact: Kevin is a varsity athlete on the lightweight rowing team. His athleticism really comes in handy for plant retrieval!