Sarah Grace Lott

Bio

Advisor and Program

Casey Dietrich
Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, NC State University

About

Sarah Grace Lott is a master’s student at NC State University in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering with a focus in coastal engineering. She received her bachelor’s degree in geology from The College of William & Mary where her experience with undergraduate research led to an interest in coastal geomorphology and a passion for creating access to scientific research for all. Currently, she is focused on the intersection of coastal change and the ways affected communities apply scientific knowledge to adapt to changes in their environment. She believes that research is most effective when conducted in collaboration with the communities it aims to serve, ensuring both long-term relevance and meaningful outcomes. In her free time, Sarah Grace enjoys hiking with her dog, playing board games, and sewing.

Research Interests

Sarah Grace’s research is a collaboration between residents, social scientists, and engineers to develop adaptation scenarios for communities experiencing coastal change. Barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina face extreme storm surge flooding during hurricanes. As sea levels rise, coastal communities must adapt to reduce their vulnerability to storm hazards. Sarah Grace is developing scenarios with ADCIRC, a numerical storm surge model, to assess storm flood hazards under various adaptation strategies. These scenarios consider the complex needs of coastal residents to maintain community functions during and after storms, such as elevating infrastructure or constructing inlets to reduce flood duration.