REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events

This is a new three-year proposal for an REU Site titled, “REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events”, hosted by Florida State University and the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering, Ten students each year will engage in a ten-week interdisciplinary program investigating the impact of engineering in this environment, undergo professional development, and pursue potential options for graduate studies and careers in this interdisciplinary field. Escalating extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and severe storms pose great threat to the physical infrastructure and structures, transportation network, and thereby the local communities, especially those of high social and economic vulnerability. Each student will work under the supervision of experienced faculty advisors on a variety of research projects related to resilience of infrastructure against extreme weather events. Undergraduate students will engage in research and training opportunities in infrastructure resilience and to consider pursuing careers and graduate degrees in this field. This is a new three-year proposal for an REU Site titled, “REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events”, hosted by Florida State University and the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering, Ten students (a large proportion will be underrepresented minority and female students) each year will engage in a ten-week interdisciplinary program investigating the impact of engineering in this environment, undergo professional development, and pursue potential options for graduate studies and careers in this interdisciplinary field. Escalating extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and severe storms pose great threat to the physical infrastructure and structures, transportation network, and thereby the local communities, especially those of high social and economic vulnerability. Each student will work under the supervision of experienced faculty advisors on a variety of research projects related to resilience of infrastructure against extreme weather events. The research topics are broadly categorized into three complementing focus areas 1) sustainable urban water management for hazard mitigation, 2) resilience of infrastructure, and 3) disaster response and management. Participants will engage in a series of interactive workshops and seminars about the impact of extreme weather events and importance of infrastructural resilience, polish their research and communication skills, develop their skills in working with diverse backgrounds and building academic resilience, and cultivate their interest in graduate education and advanced career in STEM, particularly, in infrastructural resilience area. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.