COPRI Lecture: Engineering Resilience in the Great Lakes Region

Join the ASCE Met Section COPRI Chapter for a technical lecture given by Nicole Conway, Jeffrey King, and Brigid Atkins-1.0 NYS PDH offered

The ASCE Met Section COPRI chapter presents:

Engineering Resilience in the Great Lakes Region

1.0 NYS PDH will be offered.

Speakers: Nicole Conway, Jeffrey King, and Brigid Atkins of Dewberry

Abstract:

Over the years, the shorelines of the Great Lakes have been damaged by flooding and erosion due to severe storms and historically high lake levels. Funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts (IRGLC) is a partnership between the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This initiative provides engineering and design support to over thirty Great Lakes communities to implement nature-based solutions that strengthen coastal resilience, protect vital public spaces, and restore critical habitat across the Great Lakes basin.

This presentation will provide an overview of the program as well as highlight some of the completed designs under this initiative, including three habitat restoration projects. The projects covered will restore eroded bluffs in northern Illinois, capture stormwater through constructing wetlands in Wisconsin, and revitalize the waterfront in Minnesota. The proposed solutions reduce the risk of shoreline erosion to protect critical infrastructure, improve water quality, attract key native species back to the community, and encourage public interaction and engagement with the project sites.

Speaker Bios:

Nicole Conway is a coastal and water resources engineer in Dewberry’s New York City office. Her professional experience includes general civil, coastal, and water resources engineering projects within natural and built environments. Nicole's design experience includes developing technical drawings and specifications, as well as hydrodynamic and coastal modeling through MIKE to develop resilient waterfront solutions. Nicole holds a degree in civil engineering with a concentration in hydraulics and hydrology from Purdue University. In her free time, she likes to take dance classes in NYC.

Jeffrey King is a coastal engineer specializing in coastal structure design, living shorelines, beach renourishment, dredging, and coastal modeling. His technical expertise includes wave analysis, hydrodynamic modeling, shoreline erosion assessment, and nature-based design solutions. His project experience spans environmental permitting, engineering design, and construction inspection, allowing him to contribute effectively across all project phases. Jeffrey holds an ocean engineering degree from the Florida Institute of Technology and brings a genuine passion for coastal environments to his work. Outside the office, he enjoys ocean photography, soccer, and exploring nature.

Brigid Atkins graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in hydraulics and hydrology. Since August 2025, she has worked as a Graduate Water Resources Engineer at Dewberry. Her experience includes design and preparation of construction documents for coastal and waterfront projects including habitat restoration, marina, and living shoreline design.