Derek Roberts, PhD

I'm an aquatic scientist and water resources engineer turned wind energy measurements specialist. My previous research - at the interface of fluid mechanics, water quality, and aquatic ecology - focused on implementing and leveraging distributed sensor networks to understand the dynamics of natural water bodies. I like to zoom-in in order to zoom-out; I'm interested in understanding fundamental processes to the level of detail required to address system-scale questions. In the aquatic/marine science realm, those questions included: What role do various processes play in the dynamics of our changing aquatic environment? How do we translate this understanding to well-informed environmental policies? In my current role, I leverage my expertise in environmental sensors and applied fluid mechanics to assess wind turbine performance under variable environmental conditions and to evaluate the accuracy of emerging wind measurement technologies.

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Current Position(s)

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Senior Turbine Performance Engineer

DNV Energy Systems

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Education

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Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2019

University of California, Davis

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M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017

University of California, Davis

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B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor