Alexey Katin

Professional interests:

Statistical and differential equation modeling, machine learning, Bayesian inference
Data analysis and visualization (maps, tables, and figures)
Water quality, hydrologic and ecological modeling

Education

Ph.D. Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering (CCEE) (2016–2021)
North Carolina State University (NCSU) (Raleigh, NC, USA)
Advisor: Daniel R. Obenour
Dissertation: Bayesian Modeling of Coastal Eutrophication to Inform Management Solutions for Hypoxia and Algal Blooms
M.S. Hydro Science and Engineering (2013–2015)
Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden, Germany)
Advisors: Mitsuyo Saito, Kenji Okubo, Rudolf Liedl
Thesis: Quantitative evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge in granitic coastal area with the use of ²²²Rn as a natural tracer including diffusive flux from the benthic sediment
B.S. Economics (2006–2010)
National University of Science and Technology (MISIS) (Moscow, Russia)
Advisor: Theodor B. Rubinshtein
Thesis: Credit risk management for “Alfa-Bank”
B.S. Environmental Engineering (2004–2009)
National University of Science and Technology (MISIS) (Moscow, Russia)
Advisor: Yuri M. Kochnov
Thesis: Development of recommendations for improving gas purification system for arc shaft furnace “Severstal” in order to reduce energy costs

Positions held

Quantitative Analyst. NextEra Analytics, (Aug 2022–present)

Lead the development of the core algorithms and models to support trading, origination, and asset optimization decisions
Performed quantitative studies, evaluating revenues from assets, including analysis of day-ahead / real-time prices (LMP, ancillaries, load, wind, and/or solar) back/forecasting
Provided ad-hoc solutions for unique projects, e.g. microgrid modeling
Trained junior personnel

Postdoctoral Scholar. NCSU, CCEE (Feb 2021–Jul 2022)

Developed Bayesian models linking spatio-temporal distributions of marine species (Brown and White Shrimp) to environmental, water quality and anthropogenic factors (manuscript in prep.)
Teaching Hydraulics class (CE 282), Summer 2, 2022

Research Assistant. NCSU, CCEE (2016–2020)

Developed novel Bayesian mechanistic biogeochemical model to predict dissolved oxygen concentration for the Neuse Estuary, NC
Leveraged model for short-term hypoxia forecasting to inform fisheries and watershed managers in advance about the expected conditions
Developed Bayesian empirical and process-based predictive models to understand how environmental factors control phytoplankton in the river-dominated estuary. Tested the system sensitivity to nutrient loading variations in order to comply with state water quality standard
Used R to process and analyze data, produce figures, and code all models
Provided annual forecast for the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) hypoxia. Suggested updates to the existing model to include the long-term effect of nutrient loadings in the predictions of the GoM hypoxic zone

Graduate Teaching Assistant. CE 383 – Hydrology and Urban Water Systems. NCSU, CCEE (2018–2020)

Graded biweekly student assignments
Assisted students with questions during regular office hours

Intern. Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany (2014)

Converted technical documentation into html version with equations embedded using LaTeX

Marketing Executive. Bosch Rexroth, Moscow, Russia (2010–2013)

Planned and organized company representation at exhibitions and conferences (full event management)
Analyzed local industrial hydraulics market and competitors
Administrated and managed corporate website
Designed sales brochures according to corporate style. Worked with printing agencies

Scholarly works

Scavia, D., Bertani, I., Obenour, D.R., Turner, R.E., Forrest, D.R., Katin, A. (2017). Ensemble modeling informs hypoxia management in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 114, 8823-8828. 10.1073/pnas.1705293114
Katin, A., Del Giudice, D., Obenour, D.R. (2019). Modeling biophysical controls on hypoxia in a shallow estuary using a Bayesian mechanistic framework. Environmental modeling and software, 120. 10.1016/j.envsoft.2019.07.016
Katin, A., Del Giudice, D., Hall, N.S., Paerl, H.W., Obenour, D.R. (2021). Simulating algal dynamics within a Bayesian framework to evaluate controls on estuary productivity. Ecological modelling, Vol. 447. 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109497
Katin, A., Del Giudice, D., Obenour, D.R. (2022). Temporally resolved coastal hypoxia forecasting and uncertainty assessment via Bayesian mechanistic modeling, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Volume 26. 10.5194/hess-26-1131-2022

Other related experience

Assisted in collecting water quality samples and CTD profiling at University Lake, NC (2017)
Collected water quality samples (nutrients, chlorophyll a) at the Neuse River, NC as a part of monitoring project (2016)
Sampled sediment and deployed sensors (temperature, salinity) at the Ikuchijima island, Hiroshima area, Japan (2015)
Accomplished study project during Masters: Testing the performance of spatial interpolation techniques for mapping precipitation fields in Saxony, Germany (2014). Interpolation and output figures were performed in R

Presentations

Katin, A., Obenour, D.R., Del Giudice D. “Summerlong, climate-driven hypoxia forecasts for the northern Gulf of Mexico via Bayesian mechanistic modeling”, 26th Biennial Conference of Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), November, 2021.

Katin, A., Obenour, D.R., Del Giudice D. “Contrasting nutrient management implications from statistical and process-based estuary phytoplankton models”, 25th Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF). Mobile, AL. November 2019.

Katin, A., Obenour, D.R., Del Giudice, D. “Development and application of a probabilistic hypoxia forecasting model for the Neuse Estuary”, Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. March, 2019.

Katin, A., Del Giudice D., Paerl, H.W., Obenour, D.R. “Modeling biophysical controls on hypoxia for the Neuse River Estuary using a Bayesian framework”, Estuarine and Coastal Modeling Conference (ECM15). Seattle, WA. June 2018.

Katin, A., Obenour, D.R. “Hypoxia and algal bloom modeling for the Neuse River Estuary”, North Carolina Sea Grant Conference. Raleigh, NC. April 2017.

Other Publications targeting non-scientific audience

Software Experience

Modeling: R, Python, MATLAB, SAS, Stan, ArcGIS, GRASS, QUAL2K, WEAP, IRIC, Lindo, Minteq

Web: HTML, Gauss, First spirit, Joomla, Bitrix, WordPress

Graphics: Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Corel, GIMP

Honors

Full travel DAAD stipend covering two semesters in Japan (2014-2015)
Full tuition fellowship at North Carolina State University (2016-2020)
Mentored Teaching Fellowship (MTF) Award (Fall 2020)