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Rich Pauloo
I have coded workflows that stream real-time data from remote sensor networks, built dashboards to bring clarity to massive datasets, developed physical simulation models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport, made visualizations to improve machine learning interpretability, and built R packages.
Completing a highly quantitative, computational PhD has taught me to how to stay organized, rapidly learn new material, use skepticism to identify opportunities for improvement, ask creative questions, effectively collaborate, and communicate to diverse audiences.
I am currently searching for positions where I can work on technical, challenging, data-intensive problems for the betterment of society.
Education
PhD. Candidate, Hydrogeology
University of California Davis
Davis, CA
2020 - 2015
- Regional scale physical simulation modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport.
- Elected graduate group representative in the Graduate Student Assembly.
- National Science Foundation fellow.
B.S., Integrative Biology (minor in Conflict Resolution)
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
2011 - 2006
Research Experience
Data Engineer
UC Water
Davis, CA
2020 - 2018
- Constructed a data processing pipeline and web dashboard to stream real-time groundwater data via a wireless sensor network.
Graduate Student Researcher
Fogg Lab
UC Davis
2020 - 2015
- Primarily work with large hydrologic datasets, numerical groundwater flow and contaminant transport models, and network optimization models.
- Developed methods to efficiently upscale anomalous contaminant transport in heterogeneous porous media thus informing regional scale groundwater quality modeling.
- Regularly use R, Python, Git, Bash, MODFLOW, RW3D, Paraview, Illustrator, AWS, Linux, ArcGIS, Envi, LaTeX.
Davis Data Lab Researcher
Computational Institute for Geodynamics (CIG)
UC Davis
2019 - 2018
- NLP, text mining, and network analysis in R on a corpus of ~600 PDFs.
- Developed an R Shiny dashboard to understand the corpus.
- Results published here.
Research Assistant
Fine Lab
UC Berkeley
2012 - 2011
- Collected field data and independently analyzed and constructed statistical models pertaining to plant species diversity.
Biological Research Assistant
Rizzo Lab
UC Davis
2012
- Collected and managed field data to understand dynamics between fire, drought, and Phytophthora ramorum, which causes Sudden Oak Death.
Biological Research Assistant
Sinervo Lab
UC Santa Cruz
2011 - 2010
- Identified high-alpine field sites via satellite imagery.
- Deployed remote temperature sensors to study climate change impacts to high alpine mammals.
Professional & Teaching Experience
Before beginning my PhD, I spent 3 years teaching diverse audiences in environmental education. I worked in Yosemite, Thailand, and the Marin Headlands, and honed skills in public speaking, interpersonal team development, group facilitation, and critical listening.
Expedition Leader
National Geographic & Adventures Cross Country
Thailand
2016 - 2015
- Coordinated all aspects of multi-week international travel.
- Facilitated teambuilding, group dynamics, and cultural integration.
Site Manager
NatureBridge
Yosemite National Park & the Marin Headlands
2015 - 2013
- Coordinated with Operations to run a 200-student campus with ~60 employees.
- Served as primary liaison between the organization and clients.
- Frequent improvisational public speaking to large (e.g., 200 people) audiences.
Environmental Science Educator
San Mateo County Office of Education
La Honda, CA
2013 - 2012
- Designed and taught environmental science programs to diverse students.
Grants and Awards
2019 California Water Data Challenge (statewide)
$1,500
N/A
2019
- Created calwaterquality.com, a statewide water quality data portal that (1) integrates and visualizes massive statewide water quality data sets, (2) auto-generates water quality reports for more than 2,000 California public water systems.
- Wrote a blog post about the project summarizing my motivation and thoughts.
NASA Data Visualization Competition (national)
$1,400
N/A
2018
2018 California Water Data Challenge (statewide)
$1,500
N/A
2018
- Used large state databases to build and calibrate a predictive model of domestic well failure in California’s Central Valley.
NSF-GRFP Honorable Mention (national)
N/A
N/A
2016
NSF-IGERT in Climate Change, Water and Society (national)
$111,000
N/A
2015
Selected Publications, Posters, and Talks
Assessing Impact of Outreach through Software Citation for Community Software in Geodynamics
Computing in Science & Engineering. PP. 1-1. 10.1109/MCSE.2019.2940221.
N/A
2019
- Hwang, L. & Pauloo, R. & Carlen, J.
Domestic Well Vulnerability to Drought Duration and Unsustainable Groundwater Management in California’s Central Valley
Accepted at Environmental Research Letters (copy available upon request.)
N/A
2019
- Pauloo, R. & Dahlke, H. & Escriva-Bou, A. & Fencl, A. & Guillon, H. & Fogg, G.E.
Anthropogenic Basin Closure and Groundwater SALinization (ABCSAL): An Unrecognized Threat to Water Quality Sustainability
Under-Review (copy available upon request.)
N/A
2019
- Pauloo, R. & Fogg, G.E. & Guo, Z.
An Overview of Domestic Well Vulnerability in California’s Central Valley: Opportunities for Informed Risk Assessment
California Environmental Protection Agency
Sacramento, CA
2019
Anthropogenic Basin Closure and Groundwater Salinization
Chapman Conference on Aquifer Sustainability
Valencia, Spain
2019
- Pauloo, R. & Fogg, G.E. & Guo, Z. & Harter, T.
Hydraulic gradients modulate non-Fickian transport in heterogeneous porous media
American Geophysical Union
Washington, DC
2018
- Pauloo, R. & Fogg, G.E. & Guo, Z. & Henri, C.V.
An Interactive Mapping Interface to the California Online State Well Completion Report Database
UC Water Annual Meeting
Sacramento, CA
2018
- Pauloo, R.
The Past Present and Future: Long-term climate trends and water management history in California
Water Scarcity in the West
Davis, CA
2015
- Pauloo, R. & Pinheiro, M.
Selected Data Science Writing
I regularly write about data science, visualization, machine learning, and hydrology on my blog.
Race to the Bottom
Exploratory data analysis and science journalism California well construction trends.
N/A
2019