Extension

KJ Jafarzadegan is a new water specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension, and he is focused on developing flood and drought forecasting tools for local communities. (Photo by Mitchell Alcala, OSU Agriculture)

 

KJ Jafarzadegan joined Oklahoma State University Extension as a water specialist

in July 2024. He also serves as an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.

 

Jafarzadegan’s background in civil engineering led him to a crossroads early in his academic career when he chose between studying the structure or water aspects of the field. He decided to pursue water and the study of hydrological extremes based on his love of mathematics.

 

“Water is complicated, a complex phenomenon,” he said. “For example, when we study flooding, we look at the different components of the environment and try to model them mathematically together.”

 

His OSU research and Extension appointments include characterization, modeling and management of hydrological extremes. He is focused on developing flood and drought forecasting tools to improve the resilience of local communities affected by Mother Nature’s harsh weather events.

 

“One of my main goals is to use Mesonet data in my models and develop an early warning system for Oklahoma that specifically warns people about flood and drought,” Jafarzadegan said. “We’re trying to find the best strategies that mitigate the adverse impacts during flood and drought.”

 

He works closely with the Oklahoma Water Resources Center at OSU and applies tools such as hydrologic and hydrodynamic models, data assimilation and machine learning techniques, satellite remote sensing data and statistical methods in his research. He also concentrates on hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment as well as integrated water resources management.

 

“In my Extension research, I try to address three key areas related to flood and drought – where, when and how – we’re developing maps and forecasting tools based on that information to give us warning ahead of the flood or drought impact,” he said.

 

Jafarzadegan earned a bachelor’s degree from Isfahan University of Technology and a master’s from the University of Tehran in Iran. He also holds a doctorate in civil engineering from Purdue University. He completed postdoctoral work and served as a senior research associate in the University of Alabama’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering.