Kaleb Young, a PhD student in civil and environmental engineering, is working to improve flood forecasting for the state of Iowa.
Monday, January 27, 2025
Kaleb Young CEE
Kaleb Young

The 2025 Dare to Discover banner campaign highlights 10 engineering students and postdocs, among 80 undergraduate, graduate student, and postdoctoral scholars across the university who are engaged in promising research, scholarship, and creative activities that range from unlocking the molecular mechanisms of disease to exploring the mysteries of space.

The banners, the tenth installment of the Dare to Discover campaign, will be up in downtown Iowa City until March.

Among those recognized is Kaleb Young, a PhD student in civil and environmental engineering. He is working to improve flood forecasting for the state of Iowa. He is incorporating the effects of agricultural drainage systems into the WRF-Hydro model, which the National Weather Service uses for streamflow forecasts across the country. Young has also contributed to the Iowa Watershed Approach, a 5-year, statewide effort to enhance flood resilience, and assisted the southwest Iowa town of Riverton with addressing local flooding issues.

“Being involved with research has allowed me to gain a much deeper understanding of the materials that I learn in class,” said Young, who is mentored by Larry Weber, professor of civil and environmental engineering. “It also allows me to see how the fundamentals I learn in classes are used in real world applications.”

Other engineering students in the campaign include:

Visit the College of Engineering on Instagram to learn more about these students and see more photos!