Jonathan Lasco, Ph.D.

Biography

I was born and raised in the Philippines. After graduating from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, I taught at the university as an instructor before moving to the United States to pursue graduate education. I earned my master’s degree at The University of Texas at Austin and my doctoral degree at Texas A&M University before joining the faculty at the University of Jamestown in Fall of 2022.

Having grown up in a country that is blessed with water resources but at the same time, vulnerable to typhoons and floods, I developed a passion for research in the field of water resources engineering. Currently, my research foci include engineering education, flood resilience, and the nuances of curve number hydrology.

I am a Christian who believes that science and faith are always complementary and never contradictory. My wife and I love to travel and have a particular fondness of America’s National Parks. My hobbies also include playing the piano, watching NBA games, and playing chess. I love barbecue and am a big Star Wars fan.

My Favorite Course to Teach

My favorite courses to teach are Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering; however, I enjoy teaching in general. I believe that the opportunity of seeing students learn something that they previously didn’t know on an almost-daily basis is a privilege that educators enjoy, and to be able to be a part of the success of students in the professional world is something that I – as an educator – take great pride in.

Scholarly and Creative Works

Selected Journal Articles:

Lasco, J.D.D., & Moglen, G. (2023). Hydrologic Conservatism as a Rationale for Selecting NRCS Initial Abstraction Ratio. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 28(12), 04023041. DOI: 10.1061/JHYEFF.HEENG-601.

Lasco, J.D.D., Olivera, F., Sharif, H. (2022). Unit Hydrograph Peak Rate Factor Estimation for Texas Watersheds. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 27(11), 04022026. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0002212

Dolores, A.J.S., Lasco, J.D.D., Bertiz, T., & Lamar, K. (2020). Compressive Strength and Bulk Density of Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHB) Infused with Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) Pellets. Civil Engineering Journal, 6(10), 1932-1943.

Duka, M.A., Lasco, J.D.D., Veyra, Jr., C.D., & Aralar, A.B. (2018). Comparative Assessment of Different Methods in Generating Design Storm Hyetographs for the Philippines. Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 21(1), 82-89.

Lasco, J.D.D., Madlangbayan, M.S., & Sundo, M.B. (2017). Compressive Strength and Bulk Density of Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHB) with Polypropylene (PP) Pellets as Partial Replacement for Sand. Civil Engineering Journal, 3(10), 821-830.

Selected Conference Papers:

Lasco, J. D. D. Empirical Evidence Shows that Curve Numbers Vary from Event to Event. In World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023 (pp. 535-544).

Lasco, J. D. D., Olivera, F., & Sharif, H. O. Unit Hydrograph Peak Rate Factor Estimation for Houston Watersheds. In World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2021 (pp. 535-544).

Lasco, J.D.D., Maidment, D.R., & Hodges, B.R. (2018). A new approach for generating flow directions in urban watersheds. In World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2018: Watershed Management, Irrigation and Drainage, and Water Resources Planning and Management.

Awards and Grants

· Balik Scientist Awardee, Department of Science and Technology, Philippines, 07/10/2024 – 08/06/2024

· Passed FE, June 2022

· Awardee, the National Science Foundation PIRE Coastal Flood Risk Reduction Program in the Netherlands, 05/16/2022 – 05/28/2022

· Zachry Department of Civil Engineering Excellence Fellowship, 2019-2020, Texas A&M University

· Walter L. and Reta Mae Moore Graduate Fellowship in Civil Engineering, 2015-2016, University of Texas at Austin

· Passed PE (Philippines), November 2013

· Graduated magna cum laude, University of the Philippines Los Banos, April 2013

Professional Affiliations and Membership

· American Society of Civil Engineers, associate member

· Curve Number Committee, Environmental and Water Resources Institute, member