It's been a few months since I last posted (although it feels like we've lived a few years since March). And a lot has happened since then. Personally, I defended my thesis, completed my PhD, and moved out of Colorado and back to North Carolina. I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my … Continue reading where am I now?

I'm writing this on March 25, 2020, and, if you're anything like me, you're probably wondering -- how is it possibly still March? This month has felt like a year as COVID-19 has turned life completely upside down. At least in the US -- in other parts of the world, society has been on pause … Continue reading 2020 – the year of disaster?

In my hometown, public transportation was not really an option. Yes, there were a few buses, but their routes were concentrated to downtown, and when I was younger, you didn’t go downtown. Today, I think there are a few more bus routes that might work for the people who live near them, but for the … Continue reading How can we make public transit work for us?

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that my work is focused on making houses safer in future disasters, specifically earthquakes and typhoons. While an important part of this work is technical – an analysis of how houses rebuilt after disasters will perform in a future earthquake or typhoon – there is also an … Continue reading what hazards are you worried about?

On November 8, 2013, Supertyphoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as it is locally known, struck the Philippines, leaving unprecedented damage in its wake. Communities in the Eastern Visayas were destroyed by both incredible wind speeds and massive storm surge. In some coastal areas, the storm surge was as high as four meters. Sustained wind speeds reached … Continue reading Tacloban nearly six years on

Last week I attended a forum that brought together both academics and practitioners in the humanitarian space. While many came with a background in humanitarian shelter and settlements, others came with experience in WASH, food security, and gender. It was a two-day event that sought to find new ways to bring together academics and practitioners … Continue reading a meeting of the minds

This past week, I had the opportunity to work with one of my committee members at Notre Dame on developing a framework and plan of action for part of my research. (A brief refresher: my research is examining 1) how people perceive the safety of their houses in typhoons and earthquakes, 2) how safe post-disaster … Continue reading the luck of the Irish.

Last week I was awarded one of two Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Fellowships from USAID/OFDA (US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance) and Habitat for Humanity! I am very excited and honored to be recognized by these organizations and receive funding for my ongoing research in the Philippines. Specifically, this fellowship will be used to investigate … Continue reading humanitarian shelter & settlements!

During the reconstruction following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, many houses were built with coconut lumber – a material whose physical properties are not well known and understood in the structural engineering community. As part of my research includes creating structural models of the types of houses built following Haiyan, understanding how coconut lumber behaves … Continue reading do you need some coconut lumber?

Two weeks ago, I participated in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Legislative Fly-In as part of my role on ASCE’s Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee. I had been looking forward to this event for a while, partially because of my love for DC, but also because of the opportunity to participate in the … Continue reading in the room where it happens.