Biography
Arturo S. Leon is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in water resources engineering, whose pioneering work has helped shape the modeling, optimization, and management of urban water systems. He has developed more than ten advanced numerical models—most notably the Illinois Transient Model (ITM), which he integrated into the U.S. EPA’s SWMM platform. This model enables high-fidelity simulation of transient sewer flows during extreme rainfall, greatly enhancing infrastructure resilience in cities across the United States and internationally. His research spans: (i) smart urban water and wastewater management; (ii) multi-scale flood modeling and intelligent flood management; and (iii) computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
With over $8 million in competitive research funding—most as Principal Investigator—from agencies including the NSF, NASA, EPA, DOE, and the South Florida Water Management District, Leon leads high-impact projects that integrate artificial intelligence, physics-based modeling, and real-time system control to address water infrastructure and climate challenges. Since joining FIU in 2018, he has been a driving force in developing practical, data-driven solutions at the intersection of AI and hydraulic engineering. Leon’s research productivity is demonstrated through more than 300 publications, including books, book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles and discussions, refereed conference papers, non-refereed conference papers, posters, and reports. At FIU, since 2018, he has authored over 150 publications, including 44 peer-reviewed journal articles, 33 refereed conference papers, and 55 non-refereed conference papers. As of August 19 2025, his research has earned 2,141 citations, with an h-index of 25 and an i10-index of 52. His leadership is also reflected in his editorial roles as Associate Editor for Environmental Modelling & Software and the International Journal of River Basin Management—two highly respected journals in his discipline.
Leon’s impact extends beyond research. He is the recipient of an EPA Early CAREER Award and holds the distinction of Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers—one of the field’s highest honors. He has graduated eight Ph.D. students and led student teams to multiple first-place finishes in the EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge. He also founded FIU’s Outdoor Hydraulics Research Laboratory, reinforcing his commitment to hands-on, high-impact research. Through a career marked by innovation, leadership, and impact, Leon continues to shape the future of sustainable water infrastructure.
Awards & Honors
- HONORS, PRIZES AND FELLOWSHIPS OF CANDIDATE (SELECTED)
- Fellow, NSF Convergence Research (CORE) Institute, Spring 2023 - Summer 2023. This fellowship involved (1) attending bootcamp webinars and actively participating in workshops; (2) working with a team to prepare a pitch presentation on AI for user-inspired problems (heat island and flooding prediction); and (3) attending the incubator at UC San Diego from July 10, 2023 - July 14, 2023 (in-person participation).
- Best Paper Award, Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), for “Physics-Informed Neural Network Approach for Solving the One-Dimensional Unsteady Shallow-Water Equations in Riverine Systems,” May 2023.
- Lead Faculty Advisor for the FIU team, 1st place winner in the 2021 EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge (Demonstration Project Category), awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Wastewater Management in April 2022. “The Campus RainWorks Challenge is a green infrastructure design competition for American colleges and universities that seeks to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about effective stormwater management, and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices”.
- Best Paper Award, Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), for “A Feasibility Study on Harvesting Rainwater from Large Solar Panel Canopies to Supplement Makeup Water for Cooling Towers by Using Remotely Controlled and Self-Cleaning Rain Cistern,” June 2021.
- Lead Faculty Advisor for the FIU team, 2nd place winner in the 2020 EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge (Demonstration Project Category), awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Wastewater Management, April 2021.
- Fellow, FIU Extreme Events Institute (FIU Preeminent Program), July 2019-June 2020. This distinction was awarded in recognition of expertise and research in hazards, disasters, and risk reduction.
- Lead Faculty Advisor (with Prof. Ebru Ozer as co-advisor) for the FIU team, 1st place winner in the 2019 EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge (Master Plan Category), awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Wastewater Management, April 2020.
- Lead Faculty Advisor (with Hector Fuentes, CEE) for the FIU team, 2nd place winner in the 2018 EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge (Master Plan Category), awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Wastewater Management, April 2019.
- Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE), American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (ASCE), 2014. This award is presented by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE), a subsidiary of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The D.WRE certification is the highest post-license credential in water resources engineering, symbolizing strong professional ethics, a commitment to lifelong learning, and continuing professional development.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Early CAREER Award, 2012. The EPA CAREER award supports “research performed by PIs with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level”.
Education
- Ph.D., IL Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2002-2007
- MS, (Graduated with honors), Hydraulic Engineering, National University of Engineering, Peru, 1998-2000
- CE, (Civil Engineer Thesis, Outstanding Thesis), Civil Engineering, National University of San Cristobal de Huamanga, Peru, 1998
- BS, (5 year program, Graduated with honors), Civil Engineering, National University of San Cristobal de Huamanga, Peru, 1992-1996