Venkatesh Merwade, is a professor in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University, where he has been since 2006. His research and teaching interests include surface water hydrology with specific focus on flood modeling and mapping. He is a co-lead for the Water Challenges research area within the Institute for Sustainable Future.
Venkatesh Merwade
Professor of Civil Engineering and Co-Lead of the Water Challenges Research Community
Education
Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, in 2004; M.Sc. degree in Engineering Hydrology from University of Galway, Ireland in 2000; Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Shivaji University, India, in 1997.
Research Interests
Improving hydrologic simulation for flood prediction by using geographic information systems (GIS), satellite data, data driven techniques and advances in cyberinfrastructure. Modeling and mapping of river bathymetry for hydrologic applications.
Research Impact
Dr. Merwade’s research has led to more than 100 referred journal articles, and mentoring of more than 35 graduate students towards finishing MS and PhD theses. He has received several awards including the Education and Public Service Award (2025) from the Universities Council on Water Resources, the Education and Outreach Award (2024) from the Indiana Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, and Best Technical Paper Award (2024) from ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, among others. Dr. Merwade disseminates his educational material as online tutorials, modules and YouTube videos, which have been used/viewed by hundreds of thousands of students, faculty and working professionals around the world who want to learn about hydrology, GIS applications, and hydrologic modeling.