Dr. Virginia Smith

Fluvial Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Specialist

Dr. Smith is a Civil Engineer, whose projects have focused on urban sediment transport dynamics, sustainable stormwater management, and water resource engineering. Dr. Smith has overseen and worked on numerous water and natural resource projects across the US and around the world, including projects in Asia, the South Pacific, and Afghanistan. She has leveraged her experiences in her research focusing on rivers, floodplains, stormwater, and flooding dynamics, particularly in urban settings. Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor of Water Resources in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Villanova University.  She received her PhD studying hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and sediment transport at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). Prior to earning her PhD, she received a master’s degree in civil engineering from UT and her BS from Georgia Institute of Technology in civil and environmental engineering. She is the winner the of the Early Career Award from the University Council on Water Resources (2020), the Villanova College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award (2021), the ASCE Excellence in Engineering Education Award (2021), and the Meyer Award for Innovation (2023).