Dr. James Knighton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at The University of Connecticut. Dr. Knighton received his Ph.D. in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, his M.A. in Environmental Studies from University of Pennsylvania and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Drexel University. He teaches courses in the area of watershed hydrology.

Education

PhD 2019	Biological and Environmental Engineering	Cornell University
MA 2013	Environmental Studies	University of Pennsylvania
BS 2007	Civil Engineering	Drexel University

Professional Experience

2020 – Present	Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
2019-2020	Postdoctoral Fellow, The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Annapolis, MD
2019	Research Associate, New York Water Resources Institute, Ithaca, NY
2015 - 2019	Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, Cornell University Dept. of Biological & Environmental, Ithaca, NY
2013 - 2015	Flood Risk Division Research Associate, Enercon Services, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
2007 - 2013	Hydraulic & Hydrologic Engineer, Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia, PA

Courses Taught

Undergraduate

• NRE 2010: Natural Resources Measurements
• NRE 3125: Watershed Hydrology

Graduate

• NRE 5605: Environmental Data Analysis
• NRE 6135: Small Watershed Modeling

Research Interests

Physical hydrology and ecology by integrating large datasets with physically-based hydrologic models and emerging data analytic techniques. Research focuses on specific application to critical topics in hydrology including: ecohydrological separation, hydraulic regular of transpiration by tree rooting structures, and climate downscaling.

Licenses

• Professional Engineer (Delaware License No.: 19216)

Publications and Awards

• 2018 National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center Postdoctoral Fellow
  
• 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Horton Research Grant
  
• Knighton J., Buchanan, B., Guzman, C., Elliott, R., Rahm, B. (2020). Predicting Flood Insurance Claims with Hydrologic and Socioeconomic Demographics via Machine Learning: Exploring the Roles of Topography, Minority Populations, and Political Dissimilarity. Journal of Environmental Management.
  
• Knighton J., Kuppel, S., Smith, A., Sprenger, M., Soulsby, C., Tetzlaff, D. (2020). Using Isotopes to Incorporate Tree Water Storage and Mixing Dynamics into a Distributed Ecohydrologic Modelling Framework. Ecohydrology. DOI: 10.1002/eco.2201
  
• Knighton, J., Singh, K., Evaristo, J. (2020). Understanding Catchment-Scale Forest Root Water Uptake Strategies across the Continental US through Inverse Ecohydrological Modeling. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI: 10.1029/2019GL085937
  
• Knighton J., Souter-Kline, V., Volkmann, T., Troch, P., Kim, M., Harman, C., Morris, C., Buchanan, B., Walter, M.T. (2019). Spatial and Topographic Variations in Ecohydrologic Separation in a Small, Temperate, Snow-Influenced Catchment. Water Resources Research. DOI:10.1029/2019WR025174
  
• Knighton J., Coneelly, J., Walter, M. (2019). Possible Increases in Flood Frequency Due to the Loss of Eastern Hemlock in the Northeastern US: Observational Insights and Predicted Impacts. Water Resources Research. DOI: 10.1029/2018WR024395
  
• Knighton J., Pleiss, G., Carter, E., Lyon, S., Walter, M.T., Steinschneider, S., (2019). Reproduction of Regional Precipitation and Discharge Extremes with Meso-Scale Climate Products via Machine Learning: An Evaluation for the Eastern CONUS. Journal of Hydrometeorology. DOI: 10.1175/JHM-D-18-0196.s1.
  
• Knighton J., Tsuda, O,.Elliott R., Walter, M.T. (2018). Challenges to Implementing Bottom-Up Flood Risk Decision Analysis Frameworks: How Strong are Social Networks of Flooding Professionals? Hydrology and. Earth Systems Sciences. DOI: 10.5194/hess-2018-327.
  
• Knighton J., Steinschneider, S., Walter, M.T. (2017). A Vulnerability-Based, Bottom-Up Assessment of Future Riverine Flood Risk Using a Modified Peaks-over-Threshold Approach and a Physically Based Hydrologic Model. Water Resources Research. DOI: 10.1002/2017WR021036
  
• Knighton, J, Menzies, E., M. T. Walter. (2017). Evaluation of Topographic Wetness Guided Dairy Manure Application Schemes to Reduce Stream Nutrient Loading in SWAT. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2017.11.003
  
• Knighton J., Saia, S., Morris, C., Archibald, J., Walter, M.T. (2017). Ecohydrologic Considerations for Modeling of Stable Water Isotopes in a Small Intermittent Watershed. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.11194
  
• Knighton J., DeGaetano, A., Walter, M.T. (2017). Hydrologic State Controls on Riverine Flood Hazard: Negative Feedbacks on the Effects of Climate Change. Journal of Hydrometeorology. DOI: 10.1175/JHM-D-16-0164.1
  
• Knighton J., Walter, M.T. (2016). Critical Rainfall Statics for Predicting Watershed Flood Responses: Rethinking the Design Storm Concept. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.10888