Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center

10/15/2026

Wishing Michael Lindell a happy 80th birthday. He is professor emeritus of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M and emeritus director of this Center, and he and Ronald Perry, also an HRRC affiliate, built the Protective Action Decision Model, which the field still uses to explain what people do when a warning arrives. This year, he has new work on tsunami and wildfire evacuation, including a study finding that 80.5% of residents said they would evacuate in a hypothetical scenario, while 36.6% actually did during the December 2024 tsunami warning. This month, he joined the Center's new national advisory committee. Happy birthday, Dr. Lindell, and thank you for your work.

10/13/2026

Resilience starts at home. Today, we recognize the importance of preparing for and reducing disaster risk before it strikes. From stronger homes and safer communities to better integration of plans amoung local guiding documents, every step toward resilience helps protect lives, livelihoods, and futures.

Together, we can build a safer, more resilient world for everyone.

09/22/2026

Join us on Oct. 26 for a keynote with William Dupont, FAIA (Professor of Architecture, University of Houston), on cultural sustainability, heritage, and resilience, including lessons from the award-winning Disaster-Proof Texas Heritage and ongoing work at Mesa Verde, the San Antonio Missions, and Finca Vigía.

Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gPVqJKWv. Date: Oct. 26 | Time: Afternoon | Location/Zoom: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.

09/10/2026

Join us at the Rural Heritage Resilience Workshop at Texas A&M University, October 26 for Panel 1: What’s at Risk? Challenges and Opportunities for Preserving Heritage during Extreme Events, a timely conversation on protecting cultural places and community memory amid increasing hazard risk and impacts. Hear insights from Elyse Zavor, Sam Collins III, Jeff Fugate, and Dan R. Valenzuela as they explore mitigation, commemoration, community-engaged design, and preservation planning when and where it matters most.

Learn more about our panelist and the workshop here: https://www.arch.tamu.edu/heritage-hazards-workshop/

09/09/2026

We are estatic to announce the 2026 promotion and tenure updates for the HRRC! Please join us in congratulate Director & Professor Dr. Michelle Meyer and Instructional Associate Professor Dr. Deidra Denice Davis Williams!!

Read more about their promotions here: https://lnkd.in/gA6xNkZ6

09/09/2026

We are excited for our opening keynote David Preziosi, FAICP, Hon. AIA Dallas at the upcoming Rural Heritage Resilience Workshop. David is President and CEO of the Texas Historical Foundation, leading statewide grantmaking for historic architecture, archaeology, and artifact conservation. He has directed major preservation organizations, helped coordinate post–Hurricane Katrina stabilization efforts, and remains active in Dallas and state preservation leadership while advocating publicly through AIA Dallas’s “Lost + Found” series.

Join us by registering here: https://www.arch.tamu.edu/heritage-hazards-workshop/

09/03/2026

Join us for an exciting day and a half workshop located on campus, at Texas A&M University on October 26-27th!

Register here: https://lnkd.in/ga32TtZY

08/07/2026

07/23/2026

Chandler Ian Wilkins, HRRC URSC grad, with Research that Counts!

For Research Counts, Chandler Ian Wilkins explores the experiences of people in Houston’s public housing developments during recent disasters and highlights the urgent need for stronger institutional plans and resources to help residents: https://bit.ly/4wiVuzz

07/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Erika Brandt (Koeniger), a recent graduate of the Urban and Regional Sciences Program at TAMU, on the publication of her article, "Hurricane Irma's Lessons: The Disparity Between Disaster Plans and Response in Florida Counties," in the Journal of Emergency Management. The article was co-authored with Dr. Ratna B. Dougherty.

This research examines the differences between disaster response plans and actual emergency response activities during Hurricane Irma across seven Central Florida counties. The study found significant discrepancies between organizations identified in Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans and those involved in real-world disaster response, highlighting opportunities to strengthen coordination, planning, and implementation in emergency management.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Koeniger on this outstanding achievement and contribution to the profession.

Read the article:

Hurricane Irma’s lessons: The disparity between disaster plans and response in Florida counties Authors Ratna B. Dougherty, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9056-2813 Erika A. Koeniger, MPA https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6703-6817 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.0990 Keywords: governance, networks, p...