MICHAEL J FRIEDEL PHD

ABOUT ME

I am a Senior Computational Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , USA. I develop and apply innovative algorithms and workflows that discover, quantify, and predict linkages and their response to climate, hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles and geophysical systems across spatiotemporal scales for solving Energy, Environmental and Security challenges. My research uses artificial-adaptive system (data mining, genetic programming, learn-heuristics, deep learning, machine-learning, multimodal transfer learning, and physics-informed learning), numerical (traditional and joint multiphysics inversion) and uncertainty quantification (Bayesian, Monte Carlo) methods. I design, collect, and integrate big data including direct (physical, chemical, biological) and indirect (geophysical and remote sensing) measurements across multiscale environmental networks (space, airborne, surface, borehole) to improve solution predictability.

Prior to these roles, I was the Environmental Data Analytics Science Leader at Lincoln Agritech – Lincoln University and Senior Research Scientist (Hydro-Geophysics) at GNS Science, NZ; and Senior Research Scientist (Hydrologist and Geophysicist) and Supervisory Hydrologist at US Geological Survey, USA. During this period, I successfully developed and applied numerical and machine learning workflows to test hypotheses and answer questions in Earth and Environmental System themes: Climate and land-use change, Ecosystem, Energy and minerals, Natural hazards, Solid-earth, and Water Science. This work resulted in 120 publications, 150 conference presentations, and $33M+ research grants. During this period, I managed multimillion-dollar national/international projects with academic appointments as Adjoint Associate Professor in the School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences at Victoria University, NZ; and Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the University of Colorado, USA. I also served as Instructor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, USA; and Visiting Professor developing and teaching courses and mentoring students for the Geology Department at Colorado College, USA; Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, FN; Geosciences Institutes at the Universities of Brasilia and Campinas, BR; and held Senior Research positions (Hydrologist, Hydrogeologist, Geophysicist, Hydrogeophysicist) with the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science, NZ and the US Geological Survey, USA. I have ongoing collaborations with scientists in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Brazil and Denmark.