Florida Atlantic University was founded in 1961, in Boca Raton on an 850-acre site located near the Atlantic Ocean. The campus is conveniently located halfway between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and offers a broad range of academic programs, activities, and services.

The Boca Raton campus provides an exciting and supportive learning environment for students. The Student Union hosts student activities and meetings. In addition, its 2,500-seat Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium enables students to enjoy performances ranging from rock bands to the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. The campus supports two cafeterias and has an attractive array of accommodations for its residential students. The Boca Raton campus is also home to FAU's Division I Intercollegiate Athletics program and facilities. Its recreation complex includes an aquatic center, gymnasium, tennis courts, wellness center, track, and a variety of fields for club and intramural sports competition.

The five-story S.E. Wimberly Library houses a large collection of monographs, serials, and other academic resources. Computer labs, study lounges, a media center, and tutoring services also provide valuable academic support for students. The Boca Raton campus hosts art exhibits, theatre productions, and concerts in its two galleries and theatre. Visiting performers and speakers add to the artistic and intellectual vibrancy of the campus.

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AMPS named Hoermann the 2025 winner of its Critical Futures Award for “Climate Gentrification Pathways and
Resilience: Policy and Planning Discourses in Miami,” published in Resilient Cities in a Changing World.

AMPS Critical Futures Award

Methods to Address Self-Selection and Reverse Causation in Studies of Neighborhood Environments and Brain Health

Visualizing Sea Level Rise Impacts to Transportation Infrastructure Using Virtual Reality

Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol of a Mobility-as-a-Service App for College Campuses

Peer Engagement: On Reflecting Student Diversity in a Research Trial

Is Climate Gentrification Happening? Evidence from the Effect of Elevation and Flooding Risks on Housing Price Dynamics in South Florida

Serena Hoermann, Ph.D., AICP, MBA, serves as director for the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) and assistant research professor for the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS). Her research interests include community displacement and climate gentrification, resilience policy and planning, as well as sustainable transportation planning.

In 2025, she served as a faculty mentor for the NSF Center for Smart Streetscapes “My Streetscape Summer Research Institute.” As program manager for the FAU Partnership for Sustainable Communities, she connected university resources to support community planning. She founded the Urban Stories Festival, using storytelling to build community. Her doctorate in public administration focused on urban planning and policy.

In 2014-2017, she supported FAU's Center for Environmental Studies (CES) as coordinator for the Florida Climate Institute, lending support to conference and outreach efforts and supporting community engagement and communications.

Community Displacement Research

Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Planning

Public Administration

Environmental Sustainability

Climate Resilience Planning

Urban and Regional Planning

Faculty Profile

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Engaged Residents and Natural Solutions Make Coastal Communities More Resilient, FAU Experts Say

king-tide-season-starts-this-week-what-they-reveal-about-floridas-flooding-future

Director, Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, Assistant Research Professor, School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability

  South Florida's king tide season begins this week, giving residents and communities a predictable chance to see how high tides interact with streets, stormwater systems and other infrastructure.

King tides, also known as high-tide flooding, are amplified by sea levels rising globally combined with local conditions such as wind and changing coastlines. High-tide flooding already occurs multiple times a year in South Florida and is predicted to increase in frequency and severity as seas continue to rise.

The South Florida Water Management District expects six periods of elevated tides in 2026: 
Aug. 11–14, Sept. 8–15, Sept. 24–Oct. 15, Oct. 22–Nov. 12, Nov. 22–29 and Dec. 22–27. 

The highest predicted flooding days of the year could occur near the Oct. 27 full moon, although the amount of flooding will depend on conditions at the time, including rainfall, wind and local drainage.

“King tides are a predictable natural event, but they also provide a preview of the challenges Florida’s coastal communities may face during extreme weather events as seas continue to rise,” said Serena Hoermann, Ph.D., director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions and assistant research professor in the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability. “They give communities an opportunity to plan for resilient infrastructure as these conditions become more frequent.”  Hoermann said there are four things Floridians should be aware of during king tides:

1. Where water collects King tides can reveal flood vulnerabilities that may not be obvious under normal conditions. Residents can pay attention to where water collects along roads, near storm drains, in yards and in low-lying areas, as well as how long it remains, and how it affects everyday activities such as commuting, going to school and running errands. Because king tide flooding involves repetitive contact with saltwater, its corrosive effects can damage roads, vehicles, landscaping and other property and infrastructure. Those observations can help identify vulnerabilities and places where flooding could become more disruptive during heavier rainfall or tropical weather.

2. What happens when high tides meet heavy rain An elevated tide can become more consequential when it coincides with heavy rainfall — more than 3 inches in a day — which can occur during tropical storms, hurricanes or even strong daily showers typical during the summer months. When water levels are already high, stormwater systems may have more difficulty moving additional water away from streets and neighborhoods, potentially leaving flooded areas underwater longer. The same is true when winds push water toward the coast. Local wind conditions can make the difference between relatively minor water accumulation and more significant flooding.

3. How infrastructure responds King tides highlight the importance of decisions made long before flooding occurs.
Hoermann said communities should account for future flood risk when deciding where to build housing and roads, how to design stormwater systems and how to protect wetlands and other natural buffers. Building codes can also help ensure new development is designed with future conditions in mind. That kind of long-term planning can be difficult to visualize, particularly when future conditions may look very different from what residents see today.

 
4. The cost of flooding A single flooding event may cost less than a typical insurance deductible, but repeated events add up. Hoermann said the cumulative costs can include lost business for shops, reduced mobility for seniors, delays for first responders and health risks from standing water. Planning for higher water now, she said, is generally less costly than retrofitting neighborhoods or addressing damage after chronic flooding sets in.

In the meantime, Hoermann said residents can help by maintaining green space that gives water somewhere to drain, checking city and county websites for information on local flooding, and supporting development and building codes that account for future flood risk.

Dr. Serena Hoermann and FAU's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions are tracking how king tides signal Florida's flooding future, research that's shaping smarter, more resilient infrastructure planning. If you're a member of the media covering this story, connect with her by clicking her icon below. 

King Tide Season Starts This Week. What They Reveal About Florida's Flooding Future

Providing/Creating Health Equity in our Communities - a 90-minute panel of experts organized by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress and hosted by the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University. Panelists are Laura Cantwell, AARP; Carla Andrews, Deloitte; Janet Moreland and Dr. Jennifer Medard, Palm Beach County Healthcare District; Dr. Joe Smyser, The Public Good Projects; moderated by Serena Hoermann, CUES.

Health Equity in our Communities

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