Katrina Hyman-Rabeler
PE
Project River Engineer
I’m fascinated by the flow of water and love how it connects all people, plants, animals, and ecosystems.
Hired
- 2021
Location
- Portland, OR
As a member of GeoEngineers’ river science and engineering team, Katrina uses hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to understand and design complex water systems. She helps protect homes and infrastructure from flooding, restores river habitat, and removes manmade barriers that block fish passage. No matter the project, water resources engineers like Katrina are working to protect public health and the environment, while building more sustainable watersheds for the future.
“I’m fascinated by the flow of water and love how it connects all people, plants, animals, and ecosystems,” Katrina says. “I like to think my background in all forms of water movement—from surface water to groundwater and the vadose zone in between—allows me to consistently consider the big, watershed-scale picture.”
Katrina’s fascination with rivers started early. A childhood spent in and around the Susquehanna River inspired Katrina to begin serving as an AmeriCorps community planner for the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program. She helped guide non-profits and local governments through conservation, recreation and river projects—experience that eventually led her to jump into professional consulting.
Over the next four years, Katrina worked as an environmental scientist, honing her skills in everything from field investigations to environmental impact statements. With plenty of practical field experience under her belt, Katrina headed back to school. She enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a master’s in water resources engineering, focusing on hydrologic/hydraulic modeling and groundwater recharge. After graduating, it wasn’t long before she found GeoEngineers.
“When I saw the job posting from GeoEngineers, it seemed perfect, especially since I was also looking for an employee-owned company with a great team,” Katrina says.
In her free time, Katrina is often in and around the rivers and watersheds she works to protect. She enjoys canoeing, kayaking, and all forms of snow skiing (“on frozen water”). When she’s not on the water, Katrina likes to mountain bike, hike, camp, and explore her Portland neighborhoods. When “forced to be inside,” you might find Katrina reading or trying her hand at various artistic pursuits.
“I feel lucky my work matches my values and passions,” Katrina says. “I’m honored to be part of GeoEngineers’ great team, to work to restore rivers and streams and improve water resources in the Northwest.”
Awards
- American Water Resources Association-Wisconsin Section Annual Meeting, Outstanding Graduate Oral Presentation Award, 2021
- American Geophysical Union, Outstanding Student Presentation Award, 2020
Articles
- Hyman-Rabeler, K. and S.P. Loheide II. (2022). Drivers of variation in winter and spring groundwater recharge: Impacts of midwinter melt events and subsequent freezeback. Water Resources Research.
- Hyman-Rabeler, K. and S.P. Loheide II. (in prep). Impacts of climate warming on frozen ground regimes and groundwater recharge. For submission to TBD.
- Hyman-Rabeler, K. 2021. Impacts of Changing Frozen Ground Regimes on Groundwater Recharge. MS Thesis. Geological Engineering. https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/82220.
- Rabeler, K.H. and S.P. Loheide II. Recharge or Runoff? Climate Warming Implications for Frozen Ground Control of Hydrologic Partitioning (invited). Presentation at American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Dec 2021. eLightning Oral Presentation.
