Julia Hopkins
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Affiliated Faculty, Marine and Environmental Sciences
Research Focus
Coastal morphodynamics, including effects of extreme weather events on sediment transport in the surf zone; wave-current interactions in the nearshore; developing and implementing field-verified numerical models to study coastal processes, informing coastal management with process-based research
Education
- PhD, Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, MIT, 2017
Honors & Awards
- MIT Climate Changed Design Competition – First Place
Research Overview
Coastal morphodynamics, including effects of extreme weather events on sediment transport in the surf zone; wave-current interactions in the nearshore; developing and implementing field-verified numerical models to study coastal processes, informing coastal management with process-based research
Selected Research Projects
- SBIR Phase I: The Emerald Tutu
Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
Selected Publications
- J. Hopkins, M.A. de Schipper, M. Wengrove, F. De Wit, B. Castelle, Observations and Numerical Model Results of Morphodynamic Feedback Owing to Wave-Current Interaction, Coastal Sediments 2019, 553–564
- J. Hopkins, S. Elgar, B. Raubenheimer, Storm Impact on Morphological Evolution of a Sandy Inlet, Journal of Geophysical Research, 123, 2018, 5751-5762
- J. Hopkins, S. Elgar, B. Raubenheimer, Flow Separation Effects on Shoreline Evolution, Coastal Engineering, 125, 2016, 23-27
- J. Hopkins, S. Elgar, B. Raubenheimer, Observations and Model Simulations of Wavecurrent Interaction on the Inner Shelf, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120, 2015, 1–11
- V.J. Coles, M.T. Brooks, J. Hopkins, M.R. Stukel, P.L. Yager, R.R. Hood, The Pathways and Properties of the Amazon River Plume in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 118, 2013, 6894–6913
Apr 11, 2024
Finding Natural Solutions to Protect Coastal Communities
Louiza Wise, E’21, environmental engineering, is passionate about tackling climate change threats with nature-based solutions. Her College of Engineering experiential education and research experience, along with work at the NSF-funded Emerald Tutu project, has prepared her for graduate school and the next step in her career.
Sep 15, 2023
Ocean Sensors Study Wave and Storm Surge as Hurricane Lee Approaches
CEE Assistant Professor Julia Hopkins and CEE/MES Professor Jim Chen are deploying buoys and pressure sensors to collect data during Hurricane Lee to improve storm modeling and design nature-based solutions for coastal resilience.
Jun 01, 2023
How Nature-based Solutions are Being Used to Fight Rising Seas
CEE Assistant Professor Julia Hopkins has been working to improve her designs for the Emerald Tutu project, a floating marshland made of interconnected mats of marsh grasses, which could serve as a defense system to protect against future floods caused by rising seas, while also purifying the surrounding waters.
Oct 25, 2022
Using Natural Barriers to Help Prevent Flooding
For those areas devastated by Hurricane Ian, Northeastern experts encourage residents to build in natural buffers to protect against flooding when rebuilding. With storms threatening to intensify, should Floridians stay or should they go? With hundreds of Floridians remaining in shelters weeks after Hurricane Ian devastated swathes of the Sunshine state, the question many residents […]
Aug 12, 2022
Can Nature-based Alternatives to Seawalls Keep the Waves at Bay?
“We’re not creating a solid barrier, but we’re using a network of these little units around the shoreline to achieve wave energy dissipation,” said Julia Hopkins, assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University. (Featured in The Guardian)
Jul 19, 2022
Boston Public Radio Full Show: July 19, 2022
Julia Hopkins explained the focus of her “Emerald Tutu” project, which would create a skirt of floating greenery along the most vulnerable parts of Boston’s shore. Hopkins is an assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University, and on a team of researchers hoping to install an “Emerald Tutu” along the city’s coast. […]
Jul 13, 2022
Protecting Coastlines with Floating Wetlands
CEE Assistant Professor Julia Hopkins is working to design an “Emerald Tutu” of floating wetlands to protect shorelines from waves and coastal erosion.
Jul 11, 2022
Northeastern Researchers Have a Plan to Protect Boston from Rising Sea Levels: Floating Vegetation Mats They Call the ‘Emerald Tutu’
CEE Assistant Professor Julia Hopkins was featured in the Boston Globe article “Northeastern researchers have a plan to protect Boston from rising sea levels: floating vegetation mats they call the ‘Emerald Tutu’.” Hopkins’ research with the Emerald Tutu has also been featured in Yahoo.com, MSN.com, The Guardian, Boston Globe, WBZ Newsradio, and Boston 25 New’s […]
Apr 28, 2022
FY23 TIER 1 Award Recipients
Congratulations to the 15 COE faculty and affiliates who were recipients of FY23 TIER 1 Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grants for 13 different projects.
Sep 29, 2020
Julia Hopkins is Lead Scientist on New NSF Grant for ‘Emerald Tutu’
CEE Assistant Professor Julia Hopkins was named the lead scientist on a new NSF Small Business Innovation Research grant for research and development of a nearshore solution for coastal flooding.