Dr. Ty V. Wamsley, SES

Director, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
Published May 20, 2021

Appointed to the Senior Executive Service in October 2018, Dr. Ty Wamsley serves as Director of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi, CHL performs ocean, estuarine, riverine and watershed regional scale systems analyses work in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, as well as state and municipal governments and private industry. Areas of expertise include hydrologic analysis, hydraulic structures, coastal engineering, flood risk reduction, dredging, navigation, and military logistics.

As director, Dr. Wamsley leads a team of more than 275 researchers, support staff and contractors. He is responsible for planning, directing and coordinating a multi-million dollar research program, and developing new and strategic research program areas in coastal and hydraulics technical disciplines. He manages and maintains over one million square feet in physical facilities, including the Field Research Facility in Duck, North Carolina. Ongoing projects execute field data collection, laboratory analysis, physical modeling, and numerical modeling to produce design guidance and cutting-edge products to support successful coastal and inland water resources management.

Career Chronology:

  • 2018-Present Director, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, ERDC
  • 2016-2018      Director, Science and Technology, USACE Mississippi Valley Division
  • 2012-2016      Chief, Flood and Storm Protection Division, ERDC
  • 2005-2012      Chief, Coastal Processes Branch, ERDC
  • 2000-2005      Research Hydraulic Engineer, ERDC
  • 1994-1998      Financial Analyst, Raychem Corporation
  • 1990-1994      Tax and Business Advisor, Arthur Andersen & Co

Education:

  • 2010 PhD, Water Resources Engineering, Lund University
  • 2000 MS, Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • 1998 BS, Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University
  • 1990 BBA, Accounting, University of Houston

Awards:

  • 2005 ERDC: Outstanding Achievement in Technology Transfer – Inlet Modeling System
  • 2008 ERDC: Outstanding Team Effort – Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MSCIP)
  • 2011 Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award
  • 2013 Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service
  • 2015 Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service

Major publications:

  • Wamsley, T.V., Collier, Z.A., Brodie, K., Dunkin, L.M., Raff, D, and Rosati, J.D. 2015. Guidance for Developing Coastal Vulnerability Metrics. Journal of Coastal Research, 31(6), 1521-1534.
  • Wamsley, T.V., Godsey, E.S., Bunch, B.W., Chapman, R.S., Gravens, M.B., Grzegorzewski, A.S., Johnson, B.D., King, D.B., Permenter, R.L., Tillman, D.H., and Tubman, M.W. 2013. Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program: Evaluation of barrier island restoration efforts. Technical Report ERDC TR-13-12, U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Wamsley, T.V. 2013. “Land building models: Uncertainty in and sensitivity to input parameters”. Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note ERDC/CHL CHETN-VI-44, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Resio, D.T., Wamsley, T.V., Cialone, M.A., and Massey, T.C. 2012. The estimation of very-low probability hurricane storm surges for design and licensing of nuclear power plants in coastal areas. Technical Report NUREG/CR-7134. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. Washington, D.C.
  • Wamsley, T.V., Waters, J.P., and King, D.B. 2011. “Performance of Experimental Low Volume Beach Fill and Clay Core Dune Shore Protection Project”, Journal of Coastal Research, SI59, 202-210.
  • Wamsley, T.V., Cialone, M.A., Smith, J.M., Atkinson, J.H., and Rosati, J.D. 2010. The potential of wetlands in reducing storm surge. Ocean Engineering 37(1), 59-68.
  • Smith, J.M., Cialone, M.A., Wamsley, T.V., and McAlpin, T. 2010. Potential impact of sea level rise on coastal surges in southeast Louisiana. Ocean Engineering, 37(1), 37-47.
  • Wamsley, T.V., Cialone, M.A., Smith, J.M., Ebersole, B.A. 2009. “Influence of landscape restoration and degradation on storm surge and waves in southern Louisiana”. Journal of Natural Hazards, 51 (1), 207-224.
  • Loder, N.M., Irish, J.L., Cialone, M.A., and Wamsley, T.V. 2009. Sensitivity of hurricane surge to morphological parameters of coastal wetlands. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 84 (4), 625-636, DOI 10.1016/j.ecss.2009.07.036.
  • Wamsley, T.V., Westerink J., and Stutts D.V. 2009. “Surge and wave modelling for the Louisiana coastal protection and restoration project”. Proceeding of the 31st International Conference on Coastal Engineering, vol 2, World Scientific.