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Research Interests
Hugh Roarty is a Research Project Manager at RUCOOL, with more than two decades of experience advancing coastal and ocean observing systems from research concepts to sustained operational capabilities. Trained as an ocean engineer, he has played a central role in the design, deployment, and operation of high-frequency (HF) radar networks, autonomous platforms, and in situ sensors supporting coastal oceanography, maritime safety, and national observing infrastructure. His work bridges engineering, applied science, and operations, with a sustained focus on translating observational data into actionable products for stakeholders including NOAA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and DARPA.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Roarty has won nearly $10M in research funding, authored or co-authored close to 100 peer-reviewed publications, and delivered more than 200 technical presentations. He is widely recognized for his leadership in HF radar science, including vessel detection, wave and current measurement, quality assurance/quality control, bistatic radar systems, and network resilience—work that has directly informed search and rescue operations, offshore wind planning, and coastal hazard response. In addition to his research contributions, he has held faculty appointments at Princeton, mentored students and early-career scientists, and helped shape best practices and standards for regional, national, and global ocean observing networks.