Tess Doeffinger

Bio

Tess Doeffinger is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at 91ΑΤΖζ and Senior Climate Fellow at the Near Center for Climate Studies.

Degrees

  • Ph.D. Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, 2020
  • M.S. Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Management, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012
  • B.S. Aerospace Engineering, minor International Relations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 2011

Courses

  • Intro to Environmental Engineering
  • Intro to Engineering
  • Water Security Under Climate Change
  • Hydrology

Expertise

  • Climate change decision making
  • Water-related risk
  • Coastal adaptation

Scholarship & Service

Since starting at 91ΑΤΖζ, Professor Doeffinger has helped out our local community, both on-campus and off-campus in many different ways:

  • ASCE Sustainable Solutions Competition
  • ALERT Program
  • SCORE (South Carolina Oyster Recycling & Enhancement)
  • Waves for Women
  • Charleston Waterkeepers
  • Senior Climate Fellow, NEAR Center for Climate Studies
  • Board Member, SC Sea Grant Consortium’s Coastal Resilience Program
  • Associate Editor, Climate Risk Management
  • Journal Reviewer, Discover Sustainability, Environmental Management, Local Environment
  • Grant Reviewer, National Academics of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine

Publications

  • Doeffinger, T.Β and Siders, A.R. β€œA proposed method for evaluating historical adaptation pathways of coupled natural-human systems,” Environmental Science and Policy, 163.
  • Doeffinger, T.Β β€œHistorical adaptation pathways: the case of Folly Beach, South Carolina,” Journal of Ocean and Coastal Management, 261.
  • Wood, T., Laughton, S., & Doeffinger, T. (2025). “The CLassical Model for Knowledge Persistence. 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings. Published.