Workshop on Future Plans for Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER); Reston, Virginia; Spring 2026

The Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association provides for investigation, data collection and public dissemination of information from natural disasters. GEER’s mission to “turn disasters into knowledge” benefits the geotechnical engineering profession by providing information that can improve design and construction practices to reduce poor performance in extreme events; benefits the engineering profession by fostering innovative methods to perform reconnaissance to learn from extreme events; and benefits society by improving the management of risk in future extreme events. This project intends to identify opportunities for improvement moving forward to ensure the objectives remain relevant and new and emerging technologies are leveraged. The methodology will be to conduct a two-day workshop to discuss and brainstorm opportunities for GEER. Specific objectives include identifying priorities for future efforts, developing best practices for incorporating new technology, and reshaping governance to provide adaptability and transparency. The workshop will include invited talks by professionals (academics and practitioners) with GEER experience, as well as panels shaped around specific questions and objectives. It will involve 30 participants intended to provide representation from senior and junior levels, people who have led and/or participated in GEER activities for many years and people who have not, people with a broad range of perspectives about different types of extreme events, and people with knowledge about a variety of geographic regions. The workshop will be preceded by an online survey among GEER members to collect additional input on critical topics that should be addressed during the workshop. The product of the workshop will be a report summarizing the discussions and providing guidance for the future of GEER. 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.