Post Doctoral Research
Environmental Research Institute
4th Floor
MaREI Centre
Beaufort Building
University College Cork
Haulbowline Road, Ringaskiddy

T: +353214864328
E: paul.alexander@ucc.ie

Research Interests

Micro-ClimatologyUrban ClimatesClimate Change Impact AssessmentClimate ModellingClimate ObservationsGeographic Information SystemsEnvironmental Science

Biography

Paul graduated from his BA in University College Dublin in 2009 Majoring in Geography. During his first year in UCD, 2006, he and a fellow student (Robert Mathews) applied to the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy with a research proposal to create an interactive map of University College Dublin's 1.48Km2 campus for new students and visitors using Geographic Information Systems. The School kindly accepted their proposal and commissioned them for 10 weeks to carry out the project, making them the first Stage 1 students to ever be involved in such an undertaking. The project was subsequently completed on schedule and the map was launched on the university website, both Paul and Robert were commended by the Dean of Arts and College of Social Sciences and awarded 10 academic credits (ECTS) for the project.

Following this Paul lead numerous projects within Geography, including the development of the first weather station on UCD campus (GPEP1), and served on the staff student committee within the School.

In 2009 he began his Master’s by research (MSc) in Climatology on the topic of local climate zone boundary formation and the impact of this on urban air temperature in Dublin City.

In 2010, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship (EPA- Environmental Science & Policy Award) to expand his research between UCD, NUIM and Arizona State University involving a rigorous climatological and meteorological campaign of measurements to assess the impact of Ireland's capitol on the atmosphere, thus strengthening networks of research both nationally and internationally, and placing Dublin on a short list of cities to engage in such work.

He completed his thesis in 2011 and was subsequently offered a Doctoral Teaching Fellowship from the Department of Geography NUIM. In 2016 having successfully defended his doctoral thesis Essays on Urban Climate Model Evaluation and Application Paul joined the Environmental Research Institute on the EPA funded project Large Urban Area Adaptation (Urb-Adapt) with Dr. Barry O'Dwyer.

Research Interests

Micro-ClimatologyUrban ClimatesClimate Change Impact AssessmentClimate ModellingClimate ObservationsGeographic Information SystemsEnvironmental Science

Peer Reviewed Journals

YearPublication
(2016)'Simulating the impact of urban development pathways on the local climate: A scenario-based analysis in the greater Dublin region, Ireland'
P.J. Alexander and R. Fealy and G.M. Mills (2016) 'Simulating the impact of urban development pathways on the local climate: A scenario-based analysis in the greater Dublin region, Ireland'. Landscape and Urban Planning, 152 :72-89 Globe icon [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'Mapping Local Climate Zones for a Worldwide Database of the Form and Function of Cities'
Bechtel, Benjamin and Alexander, Paul J. and Böhner, Jürgen and Ching, Jason and Conrad, Olaf and Feddema, Johannes and Mills, Gerald and See, Linda and Stewart, Iain (2015) 'Mapping Local Climate Zones for a Worldwide Database of the Form and Function of Cities'. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 4 (1) Globe icon [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'Using LCZ data to run an urban energy balance model'
Paul John Alexander and Gerald Mills and Rowan Fealy (2015) 'Using LCZ data to run an urban energy balance model'. 13 :14-37 Globe icon [DOI] [Details]
(2014)'Local Climate Classification and Dublin’s Urban Heat Island'
Alexander, Paul J. and Mills, Gerald (2014) 'Local Climate Classification and Dublin’s Urban Heat Island'. Atmosphere, 5 (4) Globe icon [DOI] [Details]

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2013Winner 3MT (International 3 Minute Thesis Competition) – National University of Ireland, Maynooth) NUIM
2010Seed Funding - WIND Project (Joint) NUIM & UCD
2010Fulbright Scholarship - EPA Environmental Science and Policy Fulbright Ireland / EPA
2012Young Scientist Award - European Meteorological Society European Meteorological Society
2011Doctoral Teaching Fellowship NUIM

Internal Collaborators

 NameInstituteCountry
Barry O'Dywer