This Is What Science Looks Like at NC State: Liliana Velásquez Montoya

Editor’s note: This post comes from Liliana Velásquez Montoya, a Ph.D. student in civil engineering at NC State.The post is part of an ongoing series that we hope will highlight the diversity of researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The series is inspired by the This Is What A Scientist Looks Like site.

I came from Colombia to NC State in the fall of 2013 to pursue a doctorate in civil engineering on a topic that I am absolutely passionate about: the coasts. I am interested in the application of mathematical models to understand morphological evolution of barrier islands. My aim is to combine geographic information systems (GIS) tools with numerical modeling to simulate beach response to extreme weather events such as hurricanes and sea level rise.

One of the things that I enjoy the most from my research area is that it allows me to combine field and office activities, which I consider a perfect equilibrium for an engineer. Challenges related to the highly dynamic nature of coastal regions are always testing both applied ingenuity and theoretical knowledge.

In addition to my research, I love being in the water either swimming or diving, dancing and listening to reggae and any type of Latin music (especially salsa, merengue and vallenato) and  lastly but not least, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my husband whom I married about a year ago.