Yajuan (Viola) Duan

Ph.D. Student

Name:              Yajuan (Viola) Duan

Phone:            919-660-5557

Email:              yd51@duke.edu

Address:        Rm. 2447A, CIEMAS Bldg., Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

RESEARCH INTERESTS­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

My research interests are the indirect effect of aerosols on low-level clouds and fog (LLCF) and warm-season precipitation regimes in mountainous regions and ground validation of space-based remote sensing systems. Specifically, a cloud parcel model is implemented and coupled with Duke's Rain Microphysics Column Model to investigate the influence of aerosol properties on cloud development and orographic precipitation processes. I use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at high-resolution to investigate Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation-Interactions and elucidate the linkage of aerosol effects to the spatial pattern and diurnal cycle of LLCF and precipitation on altitudinal gradients.

EDUCATION

  • 09/2012 – Present    Ph.D. Candidate in Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics

                                          Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University

  • 09/2011 – 06/2012     MS in Civil Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
  • 09/2007- 06/2011       BEng in Civil Engineering, University of Macau, China

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Duke University. Graduate Research Assistant. 09/2013 – Present. Pratt School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Durham, NC.
  • Duke University. Teaching Assistant. 09/2013 – 12/2013. Pratt School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Durham, NC.
  • University of California, Los Angeles. Research Assistant. 01/2012 – 04/2012. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA.
  • University of California, Los Angeles. Undergraduate Reader. 09/2011 – 12/2011. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Rothpletz, Lienhard + Cie AG, Aarau, Switzerland. Structural Engineering Intern. 06/2010 – 08/2010.
  • Center for Engineering Research and Testing (CERT), Macau. Traffic EngineeringIntern. 06/2009 – 08/2009.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Duan, Y., Wilson, A. M., and Barros, A. P. (2015). Scoping a field experiment: error diagnostics of TRMM precipitation radar estimates in complex terrain as a basis for IPHEx2014. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 19(3), 1501-1520, doi:10.5194/hess-19-1501-2015.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  • Duan, Y., Barros, A. P., 2016. Mapping the Impact of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions on Warm Season Low Level Rainfall in Mountainous Regions – First Interpretive Results from IPHEx 2014 Using a Cloud Parcel Model. 96th AMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 4B.7. (Oral Presentation)  
  • Duan, Y., and Barros, A. P., 2016: Understanding the Role of Aerosol – Cloud – Rainfall Interactions on the Water Cycle of Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Observations and Models, NASA Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (AQAST) 10th Semiannual Meeting, Durham, NC, 05-07 Jan 2016. (Poster)
  • Duan, Y., and Barros, A. P., 2015: Climatology Study of Low-level Cloud and Fog in Mountain Terrain Using Satellite Observations and Modeling, EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 12-17 April 2015, EGU2015-14600. (Poster)
  • Duan, Y., and Barros, A. P., 2014: Development of Satellite-based Climatology of Low-level Cloud and Fog in Mountain Terrain. 2014 AGU Fall Meeting, Dec. 15-19, 2014, San Francisco, CA. (Oral Presentation)
  • Duan, Y., Barros, A. P., 2014. Satellite Remote Sensing of Precipitation in Complex Terrain – Analysis of TRMM PR V7 Rainfall Estimates in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. 94th AMS Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 7B.2. (Oral Presentation)(https://ams.confex.com/ams/94Annual/webprogram/Paper241404.html)

AWARDS

  • Awarded BNU Affinity Card Scholarship for academic year 2009/2010.
  • Awarded ICBC Macau Scholarship for the academic year of 2008/2009.
  • Awarded Gammon Scholarship for the academic year of 2007/2008.
  • Six times on the Dean’s Honor List from academic year 2007 to 2010.

HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

  • Vice President, Duke Chinese Student and Scholar Association, 06/2015 – present.
  • Director of Career Development, Duke Chinese Student and Scholar Association, 05/2014 – 05/2015.
  • Secretary, Duke Chinese Student and Scholar Association. 05/2013 – present.
  • Committee of Graduate Student Associate, UCLA. 09/2011 – 06/2012.
  • Participated in the Third National Competition ofStructural Design, China. 11/2009
  • Team leader of University of Macau to participate in the Management Leadership Training Programme for the New Century, Hong Kong. 07/2009                                                                                                                                         
  • Welfare Secretary of American Society of Civil Engineers international student group (ASCEISG), University of Macau Students’ Union. 01/2009 – 12/2009.
  • Corresponding Secretary of American Society of Civil Engineers international student group (ASCEISG), University of Macau Students’ Union. 01/2008 – 12/2008.
  • Team member of University of Macau Group, the 12th FLTRP National English Debating Competition in Beijing, China. 05/2008