Student Highlight: Haley Selsor, PhD Candidate and Research Professional


Haley Selsor is a Research Professional and PhD candidate in Dr. Brian Bledsoe’s lab at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems. Her research focuses on flood risk equity and investigates the disproportionate risk to marginalized communities in urban floodplains.

Describe your research interests and projects.

I tell my friends that when it comes to research, I’m an engineer who pretends to be a social scientist. I’m interested in exploring the intersection of engineering and social science disciplines related to flooding. I’ve worked on projects where I’ve been able to develop my hydraulic modeling skills and assess infrastructure alternatives impact on flooding. At the same time, for my dissertation, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the topic of social vulnerability and how it’s applied in flood risk assessments. Combining these topics, experiences, and skill sets within my research is really fun for me. 

What has your career been like so far?

I did my undergrad here at UGA and studied agricultural engineering with an emphasis in natural resource management. I thought I wanted to go into sustainable agriculture, but really fell in love with all things water through my coursework. I interned in undergrad with a non-profit called Engineering Ministries International, which is very similar to Engineers Without Borders. The team for the project I worked on was a mix of architects, interior designers, and engineers of different nationalities which exposed me to the importance of collaboration at the very beginning of my career. In the summer of 2020, I did an undergrad research program with UWIN (Urban Water Innovation Network) which was a transdisciplinary program centered around urban water issues. We got to hear from engineers, ecologists, city planners, lawyers, etc. about how they work on water issues. It was a very formative experience that connected me with my advisor, Dr. Bledsoe. The undergrad project turned into a masters which turned into a PhD, and here we are.

What are you working on now and what are your next steps?

I’m currently finalizing a conceptual framework for flood vulnerability that I’m really excited about. It combines the social and physical components of vulnerability and depicts different responses to flood exposure. I just defended my research proposal, so now I’m starting on the next chapter of my dissertation which will include a lot of HEC-RAS modeling.

Who are your collaborators and stakeholders/communities of focus in your research

I’m working with the Sustainability Office of Athens-Clarke County in applying the framework I mentioned earlier to assess flood vulnerability based on household adaptive capacities. Since I did undergrad at UGA, I’ve lived in Athens for almost 8 years, and I’m excited that my research can be used to benefit and serve the community I call home.

Is there anything you have been surprised by in your work?

I’ve been surprised by how policy really impacts everything. Historical policies and ordinances impacted the development of cities and ultimately who ends up living where in cities. Policies and regulations also influence things like infrastructure decisions and mitigation strategies. Maybe that’s another area of research to explore – how the research I’ve done can impact policy and vice versa.

Featured image (top) provided by Haley Selsor.