Robert S. Young

Professor Western Carolina University

  • Cullowhee NC

Robert S. Young is a licensed professional geologist in three states (FL, NC, SC).

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Spotlight

2 min

Will homeowners opt out of beachfront living - our expert was in the media giving his opinion on the idea

A new bill in Congress could give homeowners an option to get out now before their homes potentially fall into the ocean. The Prevent Environmental Hazards Act, is legislation that would allow federal flood insurance funds to be used to remove teetering oceanfront structures on the brink of falling into the water. It's a topic that's getting a lot of coverage, and media are seeking out experts like WCU's Robert S. Young, one of the country's go-to experts when it comes to shorelines and rising waters. Under current rules, property owners can only receive payouts from the national flood insurance program after a home has collapsed. Flood insurance is almost universally only offered by the federal government because of the inability of private insurance companies to offer policies priced to cover the true costs of their potential liabilities. Because local governments have limited legal means beyond condemnation to force private property owners to undertake the expensive task of demolishing or relocating a threatened structure, that can leave homeowners and oceanfront communities stuck in a holding pattern until a structure collapses or the sand comes back − either naturally or via a beach nourishment project. “Local governments don’t have a lot of tools in their toolboxes to get people off the beach,” said Dr. Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. “This is the first real tool they will have to get these structures off the public beach." While proposals like this bill wouldn't be a magic wand to solve the overall problem of derelict buildings along the coast, Young said it's a start. “For those of us interested in getting threatened homes off the beach and not creating debris streams miles long when they do collapse, we need some mechanisms like this to make that happen," he said. "This is certainly a positive step in that direction."  USA Today Network , June 25 This is an interesting topic and one that will be be getting a lot more attention as climate change impacts our environments and communities in America. And if you're covering let us help with your stories and questions. Robert Young is a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Robert is available to speak with media regarding this subject simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Robert S. Young

1 min

What does sea level rise mean for you? WCU's Robert Young explains

Sea levels are rising and that's why we sat down with Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines to get some answers. Rising seas and the consequences that come with them is an important topic and one that will garner more and more coverage as governments come to grips with the impacts climate change and if you are a journalist looking to know more about this topic, then let us help with your coverage and questions. Robert Young is a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Robert is available to speak with media regarding this subject simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Robert S. Young

2 min

As Florida's population soars - what will it mean if the number of hurricanes keep the same pace?

Florida is the place people want to be if you look at it's population growth that has trended upwards at an astounding pace over the last 50 years.  Millions of new residents are now calling the 'Sunshine State' home. But, with more people comes more potential problems, especially as the number of intense hurricanes are also increasing and coming inland along the state's shorelines. These storms bring devastation, flooding and also a dire need for evacuation and emergency housing. It's a topic that The Washington Post recently covered, and for expert opinion and perspective the paper sought out Western Carolina University's Robert Young for the piece: Cities in Florida are well aware of the risks. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, for instance, has simulated what the damage and recovery might look like from a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, in hopes of helping local leaders plan for the scenarios that might unfold. But even those efforts have done little to stop the feverish development in the state — a reality that persists in many coastal regions around the country. “Everybody in the room agrees this is a major problem that we still haven’t come to grips with,” said Rob Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. “This is a national problem. But Florida has been particularly good at putting more things in harm’s way.”  September 28 The Washington Post Rising seas and the consequences that come with them is an important topic and one that will garner more and more coverage as governments come to grips with the impacts climate change and if you are a journalist looking to know more about this topic, then let us help with your coverage and questions. Robert Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Robert is available to speak with media regarding this subject simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Robert S. Young

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Biography

Robert S. Young is the Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, a joint Duke University/Western Carolina University venture. He is also a Professor of Geology at Western Carolina University and a licensed professional geologist in three states (FL, NC, SC). The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) is a research and policy outreach center serving the global coastal community. The primary mission of PSDS is to conduct scientific research into coastal processes and to translate that science into management and policy recommendations through a variety of professional and public outreach mechanisms. The Program specializes in evaluating the design and implementation of coastal engineering projects.

Dr. Young received a B.S. degree in Geology (Phi Beta Kappa) from the College of William & Mary, and M.S. degree in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine, and a Ph.D. in Geology from Duke University where he was a James B. Duke Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Young has approximately 100 technical publications and he serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Coastal Research and Environmental Geosciences. He currently oversees more than $3.5 Million in grant-funded research projects related to coastal science and management.

Current research projects include: 1) an NSF-funded project examining the coastal impacts of the Elwha River dam removal project; 2) a major scientific effort to restore native rivercane Arundinaria gigantea to the southern Appalachians; 3) building a national, geo-referenced storm surge database in partnership with NOAA; 4) a National Park Service funded project to map coastal engineering activities in coastal parks; and 5) working at the local level to help communities plan for rising sea level.

Dr. Young is a frequent contributor to the popular media. He has written numerous articles for outlets like the New York Times, USA Today, Architectural Record, the Houston Chronicle, and the Raleigh News and Observer, among others. He is co-author of The Rising Sea and co-editor of Geologic Monitoring, both released in 2009. Finally, Dr. Young has testified before congress and numerous state legislatures on coastal issues. He currently serves the State of North Carolina as a member of the Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel and the State of South Carolina as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management.

Industry Expertise

Design
Education/Learning

Areas of Expertise

Holocene landscape evolution in the southern Appalachians
Wetlands
Coastal Management
Coastal Processes
Hurricanes
Environmental restoration

Accomplishments

Fulbright Senior Scholar

2012

Education

Duke University

Ph.D.

Geology

1995

University of Maine

M.S.

Quaternary Studies

1990

College of William and Mary

B.S.

Geology

1987

Affiliations

  • Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel : Member
  • Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management : Member

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • German
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Media Appearances

US military takes an abrupt turn after decades of climate change research

MSN  online

2025-04-05

“I have found the Department of Defense to be incredibly enlightened on climate change,” said Robert Young, a geology professor at Western Carolina University and director of its Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. “Any role that anyone would play in not allowing the DOD to adapt to the changing natural environment at military bases at home and abroad is going to be detrimental to our ability to maintain national security.”

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Rising Waters (Part II): Ocean towns face more frequent and costly beach rebuilding projects

WUNC  online

2024-08-26

Part of that is inflation, but part is competition for crews and equipment from the five or six companies nationwide that can do the work, said the Army Corps' Keistler. That's echoed by Rob Young, a coastal geologist and director of Western Carolina's shoreline program.

"At the moment in the US, we're trying to build one beach, almost literally, from Saco, Maine to Padre Island, Texas. So there's more competition for getting a dredge on site and getting the project done," Young said.

Young also said long-term climate trends and natural shifts in North Carolina's barrier islands are changing the economics of the beach renourishment game. Sand is eroding faster than it used to, because of big storms and sea level rise. That means beaches need renourishment more often - in some cases every couple of years, Young said.

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EDITORIAL: Down East deserves the county's support

Carolina Coastline  online

2023-09-17

Dr. Rob Young, director of the program for the study of developed shorelines, a geology professor at Western Carolina University, expressed concern, as did the other presenters over the rapid and questionable residential construction Down East. “I would not be surprised if half of the in-ground septic systems Down East are functioning,” he opined.
Dr. Young then turned his attention to the attendees, expressing his disappointment that county officials who are crucial in facilitating the changes needed to make the region more resilient were not present. He noted that to keep people dry, to facilitate transportation and infrastructure for the region, will require county level support.
In describing these needs, Dr. Young noted that infrastructure dollars are hard to come by for unincorporated areas like Down East, and as a result county government is crucial in acquiring funds for projects that will assure the survivability of the community and its economy.

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Availability

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Research Focus

Marine vulnerability assessment of Cumberland Island National Seashore

Determining the vulnerability of marine habitats at Cumberland Island National Seashore to climate change stressors

2016-08-30

The goal of this project is to develop a methodology framework for assessing the vulnerability of NPS-managed marine habitats, beginning with a pilot project at Cumberland Island National Seashore (CUIS). This framework employs an assessment approach in which vulnerability is defined as the sum of exposure (the magnitude of the stressor), sensitivity (how strongly a system is affected by the stressor), and adaptive capacity (the potential to adjust in response to the stressor).

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Adapting to Climate Change in Coastal National Parks

Estimating the Exposure of FMSS-Listed Park Assets to 1 m of Sea-Level Rise

The first phase of this collaborative project between WCU and NPS has focused on identifying NPS assets that may be threatened by a future 1 m rise in sea level within 40 coastal units. A 1 m rise in sea level can be expected to occur in the next 100 to 150 years. Many of the assets identified are already vulnerable to existing coastal hazards (erosion and storms).

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Understanding the Controls on Storm Surge through the Building of a National Storm Surge Database

The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University (WCU) is using relational tools (Microsoft Access) and a geographic information system (ArcGIS) to build a national storm surge database. The database is comprehensive, queriable, and will provide one central location for coastal scientists, engineers, and the general public to access storm surge and high water-mark data. The national database currently contains over 5800 storm surge data points from 42 hurricanes.

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Articles

Will Hurricane Katrina Impact Shoreline Management? Here's Why It Should

Journal of Coastal Research

2005

The hurricane hit the Mississippi coast head on. Orrin Pilkey immediately rushed to Waveland to bail out his parents whose house was 4 blocks back from the Gulf of Mexico. Their house had been flooded up to the 5-foot level and a half dozen trees had crashed through the roof.

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Reef morphology and sediment attributes, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

Carbonates and Evaporites

2001

A reef monitoring program off Roatan, Bay islands, Honduras has produced base line data for platform bathymetry, major macrofauna distribution, and sediment attributes. Because erosion accompanying accelerated island development will be increasing in the near future, measurements of total suspended solids and sedimentation rate were made.

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Coastal wetland dynamics in response to sea-level rise: Transgression and erosion

ProQuest Dissertations Publishing

1995

Much research has been devoted to understanding the processes and dynamics active in coastal wetlands. Yet, very little of this work has been undertaken explicitly to study the landward migration (transgression) of coastal wetland systems in response to sea-level rise.

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