The University of Washington Natural Hazard and Disaster Reconnaissance Facility (RAPID) received an annual $1.5 million grant by the National Institutes of Health that allows for an expansion of staffing, equipment upgrades and greater research on the long-term health outcomes for communities affected by natural disasters. Joseph Wartman, UW Civil & Environmental Engineering professor and the director of RAPID, expressed great enthusiasm about the grant and emphasized its ability to shift our understanding of the impacts of natural disasters on…
Tag: College of Engineering
Equity challenges persist when it comes to accessing disaster research funding
Researchers in the space of disaster science strive to address the repercussions of hazards. It is thus critical to prioritize research and researchers whose backgrounds align with the communities most vulnerable to these effects. However, underrepresented groups such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and women continue to encounter exclusion from critical research funding due to systemic disparities and obstacles. New research from the University of Washington delves into these experiences through 13 key informant interviews…
Optimizing communication and mobilization methods following disasters
A new interdisciplinary $2 million National Science Foundation effort at the University of Washington is examining networks and communication under emergencies. Professor Cynthia Chen, interim chair of the UW’s Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE), is leading the research team that includes UW professors Dan Abramson (Urban Design & Planning), Kurtis Heimerl (Computer Science & Engineering), Tyler McCormick (Sociology and Statistics) and Shuai Huang (ISE). Chen and the team will first gather insights into current local sharing and social ties that…
Constructing mass timber buildings to withstand Seattle-area earthquakes
A team of University of Washington researchers recently tested whether a 10-story, timber constructed building could survive a simulated Seattle-area earthquake. The Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) TallWood project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, is a collaborative effort between university researchers and engineering firms. The exercise, which was the world’s tallest building to be tested on a shake table, is intended to pave the way for more widespread use of mass timber — layers of wood…
Building cross-border collaborations with the University of British Columbia
The Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) runs from Northern California to Vancouver, Canada, and has the potential to unleash a magnitude 9 earthquake and an accompanying tsunami that would devastate the Pacific Northwest. To address the health ramifications of this and other regional catastrophes, affected communities must develop resilience with the support of collaborative and innovative research that spans state and international borders. In September 2023, representatives of the University of Washington Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC) traveled to Vancouver,…