Ryan P. Mulligan

Ryan P. Mulligan is a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen's University and the director of its Beaty Water Research Centre. He is also an editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, which publishes scholarly articles about oceans and their interaction with other components of the Earth system. Ryan’s research focuses on coastal engineering and nearshore oceanography, and includes the physical forces that cause changes to coastal regions and the ways in which coastal systems respond. He is particularly interested in regions exposed to severe storms—such as hurricanes—with large surface waves and storm surge, which drive erosion and flooding and impact human populations. To study these coastal systems, he uses field observations and numerical models to develop further understanding of coastal oceans and estuaries. He also conducts experimental and computer modelling research on tsunamis, and how they are generated by landslides. This research is improving our understanding of coastal processes, and in turn, leading to better simulations and predictions of future changes to the coastal environment.