2023 Annual Conference Hydraulics and Hydrology Primer

Miles Yaw is a Civil Engineer in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s River Management unit. He manages TVA’s probabilistic hydrology, downstream consequences, and paleoflood hydrology programs, and also serves as a subject matter expert for hydraulics and hydrology for Dam Safety Inspections, Risk Assessments, and Modification Studies. He currently serves as the Young Professional Vice Chairman of the USSD Hydraulics and Hydrology committee. Prior to TVA, Mr. Yaw worked in consulting, focusing on river mechanics, sediment transport, and fluvial geomorphology. During that time, Mr. Yaw performed sediment transport studies on rivers across the United States to help dam owners understand downstream morphological impacts of existing and proposed operations. Mr. Yaw also provided direct development and testing support for the sediment transport routines in HEC-RAS 5.x. He holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and a BS in Civil Engineering from Washington State University. He currently lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife and three children.

Ryan Clark is a hydraulic engineer with the USACE Dam Safety Modification Center (DSMC).  While the center is located in LRH, Mr. Clark sits virtually in the Nashville District.  Prior to working for the DSMC he worked in the Water Resources Section of the Hydrology and Hydraulics Branch of the Nashville District for over 8 years.   With over 10 years of flood risk experience, he currently works on hydrologic hazards and risk studies for the USACE Dam and Levee Safety Program.  He received his B.S. and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Tennessee Technological University as well as a M.S. in Risk Management from Notre Dame of Maryland University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Tennessee.  Besides work, he enjoys watching the Cubs and Titans, getting outdoors as much as possible with his family, and enjoying a nice glass of bourbon with his friends.

Carolyn J. Pearson is a Hydrologic Engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Risk Management Center.  Carolyn is a registered professional engineer in the state of Missouri with over 11 years of experience in hydraulic and hydrology analysis, design, and risk assessment in the dam and levee safety programs. She is currently an RMC Regional Hydrology Lead providing technical guidance and oversight on national Dam and Levee Safety studies. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology, a B.S. in Chemistry and Secondary Education from Graceland University, an M.S in Civil Engineering (Water Resources & Environmental) from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an M.S. in Risk Management from the Notre Dame University of Maryland.  She currently lives near the front range of the Rocky Mountains in Littleton, CO.