Christine Angelini is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS). Founded in 2020, CCS works across disciplines–ecology, engineering, health, computer sciences, policy and communications–to develop and deliver research and technology solutions that support coastal communities in addressing hazards and environmental degradation. A hallmark of the center’s innovation is the integration of large data sets, artificial intelligence and supercomputing to rapidly simulate coastal environmental scenarios and produce data driven solutions. The Center counts on strong partnerships with 30 plus organizations in the public and private sector at the local, state and national level to move the needle on coastal challenges.

Dr. Angelini also co-leads Florida’s Digital Twin, a UF President’s Strategic Initiative launched in 2023 to develop a statewide digital twin technology program in collaboration with UF Health, College of Medicine, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Journalism and Communications, Water Institute, College of Design, Construction and Planning, and UF Research. The goals of the program are to accelerate collaboration and engagement between UF faculty / researchers and public and private sector stakeholders in finding solutions to urgent environmental, health and social issues in the state using state of the art technology and artificial intelligence.

A marine ecologist by training, Dr. Angelini received her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Florida in 2014 and her BSc in Marine Biology from Brown University in 2009. Her expertise is in wetland, reef and dune systems, and research in her lab focuses on advancing mechanistic understanding of how species interactions moderate ecosystem resilience to climate change and influence contaminant integration into food webs.

Primary Research Area

Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics (CESD)

Other Research Areas

Coastal & Oceanographic Engineering

Systems Ecology & Ecological Engineering

Data Science and AI

Research Interests

Coastal Ecosystems, Experimental Ecology, Restoration Engineering

Education

B.S., Marine Biology, 2007, Brown University
Ph.D., Biology, 2014, University of Florida

Awards & Distinctions

• NSF Career Award, 2016
• Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Faculty Leadership Award
• National Academy of Sciences’ Gulf Coast Program Early Career Research Fellow
• Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation Early Career Award

In the News

California sea otters nearly went extinct. Now they’re rescuing their coastal habitat. NPR All Things Considered (February 6, 2024).

Dunes aren’t just big piles of sand. Here’s why Earth needs them. Washington Post (March 20, 2024).