Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Dr. Young Gu Her

Associate Professor, Hydrology and Water Quality

Young Gu Her is a hydrologist and agricultural engineer working as an assistant professor at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Civil Engineering from Seoul National University in 2000 and 2002, respectively. In 2011, he received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech with a major in Biological Systems Engineering specializing in hydrological modeling.

His recent research includes (1) evaluating the effectiveness of conservation practices such as no-till, filter strip, crop rotation, cover crop, and fertilizer management practices in reducing sediment and nutrient loadings, (2) developing a model to simulate low impact development practices including a green roof, rain garden, cistern, and porous pavement, (3) developing computational techniques for improved efficiency of hydrologic simulation, and (4) assessing climate change impacts on hydrological processes and water resources. He also has been involved in simulating the flood discharge and volume of stormwater for detention basin design and monitoring the hydrological processes of agricultural watersheds, including streamflow, groundwater, and water quality parameters.

His current research is focusing on developing a simulation tool capable of providing a holistic view of climate change and sea level rise impacts on South Florida’s agriculture and water resources. His long-term research interests lie in enhancing our ability to manage agricultural crop production and natural resources in sustainable ways by (1) developing unified fine-resolution large-scale (U.F.L.) simulation tools that facilitate integrated hydrological modeling and spatially consistent decision making and (2) creating new scientific knowledge that helps us better understand hydrological processes under projected changes in climate and sea level.

Contact Information

yher@ufl.edu

786-217-9288

Tropical Research and Education Center
18905 SW 280th St.
Homestead, FL 33031-3314

Website

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Research
Departmental Research Area:
- Land and Water Resources Engineering
Research Focus:
- Unified fine-resolution large-scale (UFL) hydrologic modeling
- Effectiveness assessment and spatial optimization of agricultural conservation or best management practices (BMPs) and low impact development (LID) practices
- Development of climate change and sea-level rise impact assessment and adaptation strategies
- Optimization of irrigation scheduling and application methods
- Agricultural flood and drought warning

Education
- Ph.D. Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), 2011
- M.S. Agricultural Civil Engineering, Seoul National University, 2002
- B.S. Agricultural Civil Engineering, Seoul National University, 2000

Professional Experience
- 2016 - Present
  Assistant Professor, Tropical Research and Education Center and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Homestead, Florida
- 2014 - 2016
  Assistant Research Scientist, Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A & M University, Temple, Texas
- 2011 - 2014
  Post-doctoral Associate, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
- 2002 - 2006
  Research Engineer and Assistant Manager, Department of Water Resource and Environment, Dong-Bu Engineering Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Publications

Awards and Honors
- ASABE Florida Section Outstanding Service Award, 2023
  - Associate Professor Young Gu Her received the Outstanding Service Award from the ASABE Florida Section.
- UF/IFAS High Impact Research Publications, 2022
  - Young Gu Her’s team received the UF/IFAS High Impact Research Publication award from UF/IFAS: Mompremier, R. (Master Student), Y. Her, G. Hoogenboom, K. Migliaccio, R. Muñoz-Carpena, R. W. Colbert, and W. Jeune (2021), Modeling the responses of agricultural productivity to water availability in Haitian watershed and irrigation systems, Agricultural Water Management, 243(1), 106429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106429.
- UF International Educator of the Year Awards by College – Junior Faculty: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2021
  - Young Gu Her received the UF International Educator of the Year Award from UF.
- Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow, 2021, 2020-2021
  - "Young Gu Her worked with climate and crop scientists to lead a chapter in FCI's book about “Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Florida’s Agriculture” of “Florida’s Climate.” The book chapter gives the public as well as scientists and policymakers a great overlook on climate-related agricultural issues that Floridians may have in the future. His program in Homestead helps improve the sustainability of agriculture in Florida by increasing the capacity of the community to deal with projected changes in climate, sea level, land use, and management practices."
- TREC Faculty Award – Junior Faculty: Most Publications, Young Gu Her, 2021
- TREC Faculty Award – Junior Faculty: Most Publications, Young Gu Her, 2019
- Superior Paper Award, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 2019
- TREC Faculty Award – Junior Faculty: Most New EDIS Publications, Young Gu Her, 2018
- Outstanding Reviewer for the Natural Resources & Environmental System (NRES) community of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), 2016

Other Professional Activities
- American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
- American Water Resources Association (AWRA)
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)
- Epsilon Sigma Phi
- Association of Korean Agricultural, Biological, and Food Engineers (AKABFE)