May Rodriguez

About Me

I am a Research Fellow at the University of Exeter specialising in AI and data science for environmental & health applications. I am affiliated with the Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions Centre and the Centre for Environmental Intelligence.

I have a multidisciplinary background in water systems, spanning hydrological modelling, water quality assessment, marine applications, and climate resilience. My doctoral research at the QUEX Institute (University of Exeter & University of Queensland) used numerical modelling and machine learning to assess climate resilience in water systems. As a postdoctoral researcher at Eawag (ETH Domain), I applied deep learning to forecast sewage spills, while also serving as scientific assistant to the Directorate. At PML, my work focused on remote sensing and machine learning for marine applications, contributing to ESA SCOPE, ESA TIME, and the Simons Foundation CBIOMES projects.

Research Interests

My research sits at the intersection of environmental intelligence, climate , and health, applied to water systems, marine environments, and climate adaptation.

Positions

Education

• PhD
  Engineering

  QUEX Institute — University of Exeter & University of Queensland

  Jan 2019 – Oct 2022
• MSc
  Water Engineering with Management

  University of Exeter — Exeter, United Kingdom

  2017 – 2018
• BSc
  Chemical Engineering

  Universidad de la República — Montevideo, Uruguay

  2010 – 2015

Selected Publications

11 peer-reviewed publications · 1 pre-print · 221 citations · h-index 9

Full list on Google Scholar →

Teaching

Awards & Honours

• 2023 Best Poster Award — Novatech Urban Water, Lyon, France
• 2022 Best Oral Presentation — IWA YWP Conference, Wales
• 2020 Best Oral Presentation — 2nd Year PhD Conference, University of Exeter
• 2019–21 QUEX Institute Doctoral Studentship — University of Exeter
• 2018 Dean's Commendation for Exceptional Performance — University of Exeter
• 2018 MSc Award for Best Engineering Project — University of Exeter
• 2017 Pro-Chancellor Scholarship — University of Exeter

Outreach & Service

Outreach

• Planet Ocean Super Saturday — The Box, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (2025)
• Atlantis Project Stand — Royal Society Summer Science Fair, London (2024)
• Organising member, Women in Climate — University of Exeter (2019–2021)
• STEM Ambassador, Engineers Without Borders — University of Exeter (2017–2018)

Community

• Reading Group Organiser — Centre for Water Systems, University of Exeter
• Weekly Seminar Organiser — Urban Water Management Dept., Eawag
• 12+ oral presentations at international conferences; 7 poster presentations

Languages

• English — Bilingual
• Spanish — Native
• French — B2
• German — A1

Technical Skills

Beyond Research

When not at my desk, I'm usually outside in England's South West. I run on Dartmoor — the tors and boggy paths suit me. I'm also working through the South West Coast Path, section by section - currently 200+ out of 630 miles done !