CAREER: Research and Education in Natural Disaster Risk Assessment

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

Rachel Davidson University of North Carolina at Charlotte 9984338 CAREER: Research and Education in Natural Disaster Risk Assessment This project includes integrated research and educational activities related to natural disaster risk assessment. A structure's vulnerability to natural disasters can significantly affect the safety of its occupants and the security of the economic investment it represents. Nevertheless, natural disaster vulnerability has little influence on decisions related to buying, financing, insuring, and occupying structures. With the ultimate goal of institutionalizing natural hazards information in these structure-related decisions, the research activities involve (1) developing a model system for rating a structure's multihazard natural disaster risk, (2) applying the rating system to a sample of structures in three U.S. cities to validate it, and (3) developing an interactive Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based application to disseminate the rating tool. The educational activities aim to enhance engineering education's traditional emphasis on problem-solving skills and technical fundamentals by using the study of natural disaster vulnerability and risk to focus attention on contextual issues, communication skills, diversity, building the desire and capability for lifelong learning, and a new image of civil engineering as a field of public service. These objectives are addressed by (1) developing a course on natural disaster risk, (2) including undergraduate students in natural disaster risk research, and (3) mentoring students from underrepresented populations, especially women. In addition, public awareness of natural disaster risk is raised by including a technology transfer component in the research activities, and by participating in local disaster mitigation activities, such as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Project Impact effort. The research and educational plans of this CAREER proposal complement each other so that together they will be more effective than either would be alone.