Joey Wu is a 2025 Peter J. Rappa Fellow at the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program under the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. For the Rappa Fellowship, Joey is conducting a feasibility study on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) equipped with topo-bathy LiDAR for coastal mapping in Hawaiʻi. Under the mentorship of Dr. Dolan Eversole, this project explores affordable drone and sensor options capable of collecting both land and shallow-water elevation data. This data is crucial for coastal research focused on sediment transport and creating digital models as a basis for wave run-up and flooding studies. The project also examines key challenges such as the high cost of LiDAR systems and the impact of water clarity and surface conditions on data quality in Hawaiʻi’s coastal waters.

Joey graduated from the University of Pennsylvania through the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) Program, receiving dual degrees in bioengineering and environmental science. As the founder of Waterroots, a global education nonprofit, he has worked with hundreds of students across 30 nations to develop grassroots weather hazard resilience. He is an active resilience champion, acting as a Penn Climate Speaker, an EarthEcho Marine Plastic Ambassador, a PBS Climate Reporting Fellow, and serving on the National Clean Water Collective Youth Council. Joey’s work has taken him to the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and across six continents. He is a Clinton Global Initiative Scholar, Duke Interfaith Climate Fellow, IEEE NSF Fellow, Millennium Fellow, Udall Scholar, Thouron Scholar, and NAAEE Academic Scholar.

Joey is now pursuing a Master’s degree in water science, policy, and management from the University of Oxford under the Thouron Award at Christ Church College. He plans to pursue a career in environmental communication, breaking down barriers in education on shifting weather patterns from both grassroots and intergovernmental aspects.