The two-day event, which was hosted by two of CHEER’s research partners, NHERI’s SimCenter and DesignSafe, was held on February 6 and 7 at the University of California – Los Angeles. More than 240 students, researchers, and industry practitioners attended the symposium, which had the theme Taking Next Steps Together: Simulating Natural Hazard Impacts from Local to Regional Scales.

Principal investigator Rachel Davidson and Ertugrul Taciroglu, the leader of the Hub’s buildings thrust, represented the Hub at the conference. They were joined by the University of Delaware’s Maria Porada, Jingya Wang, and Nii Otu Tackie-Otoo, and UCLA’s Mohammad Askari and Hesam Soleimani.

Nii Otu Tackie-Otoo, Maria Portada, Rachel Davidson, Jingya Wang, and Mohammad Askari represent the CHEER Hub in Los Angeles on February 6 and 7.

“The fact that such a large and passionate group of people in the natural hazards research community show up here year after year is a testament to the importance and relevance of the CHEER’s work,” Davidson said. “And events like this go beyond networking. The symposium is also a great opportunity for the Hub to elevate and celebrate its recent work while seeing the broader real-world impacts of our research.”

Nearly 150 presentations throughout the course of the conference addressed an array of topics and hazards, including wind, flood, wildfire, tsunami and storm surge, earthquake, uncertainty quantification, multi-hazards, and community impacts. Tackie-Otoo, Porada, and Wang each presented their own research.

Nii Otu Tackie-Otoo – “Hurricane Wind Loss Modeling Using Insurance Claims Data“

Co-Authors: Rachel Davidson (University of Delaware), Ertugrul Taciroglu (University of California, Los Angeles), Patrick Hadinata (University of California, Los Angeles), and Mohammad Askari (University of California, Los Angeles)

Maria Porada – “Modeling Household Decision-Making for Structural Retrofit Processes“

Co-Authors: Rachel Davidson (University of Delaware), Joseph Trainor (University of Delaware), Linda Nozick (Cornell University), Meghan Millea (East Carolina University), Jamie Kruse (East Carolina University), Farah Nibbs (University of Maryland Baltimore County), and Gina Hardy (NCIUA)

Jingya Wang – “Comprehending Regional Risk Analysis: Integrating Dynamic Building Inventory into a Multi-stakeholder Decision-making Framework“

Co-Authors: Caroline Williams (University of Delaware), Rachel Davidson (University of Delaware), Linda Nozick (Cornell University), Meghan Millea (East Carolina University), and Joseph Trainor (University of Delaware)

Jingya Wang, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Delaware, presents her work to more than 250 attendees at NHERI’s third-annual Computational Symposium.

Wang, whose research focuses on how households, governments, and insurers respond to different land-use policies, was a first-time attendee at the symposium. She said the symposium provided a comprehensive perspective on natural hazards, making it a unique and valuable space for research discussions.

“Everyone was friendly, willing to answer questions, and eager to engage in discussions,” said Wang, a postdoctoral researcher and member of the Hub’s integration thrust. “It was easy to grab someone and find a small table to dive into a conversation about potential collaborations. The environment truly fostered meaningful exchanges and new connections.”

To learn more about how CHEER collaborates with SimCenter and DesignSafe, visit the Hub’s Partners page. See CHEER’s Research Products page to access presentation slides from each conference participant.