Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center

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...

06/09/2026

Check out Jiang Zheng’s new Quick Response Research Report publication with co-authors Shannon Van Zandt, Michelle Meyer, Galen Newman, and Michael McNair.

Assessing Flood Risk at Youth Camps in Texas is the first statewide analysis of flood exposure and risk at youth camps in Texas. The report identifies hidden vulnerabilities and highlights gaps in current regulations.

This research was conducted to raise awareness following the tragic flooding that occurred in the Texas Hill Country on July 4, 2025, and to support efforts to improve preparedness, safety, and resilience.

Read here: tx.ag/cWwWg9q

Texas A&M College of Architecture
Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Department

06/01/2026

Dr. Ivis Garcia published an article in The Conversation!

As hurricane season begins, Dr. Garcia examines how federal flood insurance creates different challenges for wealthy and low-income households. She argues that while some homeowners benefit from subsidized coverage, many low-income families remain uninsured or underinsured and face devastating financial losses after floods. Her article calls for policies that better reflect flood risk while ensuring vulnerable communities have access to affordable protection and recovery assistance.

Click here to read Dr. Garcia's work: tx.ag/h8Rh3t5

Texas A&M College of Architecture
Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Department

05/12/2026

Innovation happens when research meets real-world impact.
Nathanael Rosenheim continues contributing to the future of resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness through his latest published work focused on integrated decision-support systems for complex socio-physical environments.

The research explores how advanced modeling, multi-hazard analysis, and data-driven frameworks can help communities and systems better prepare for uncertainty, improve resilience, and support smarter decision-making in high-risk environments.

As technology, infrastructure, and human systems become more interconnected, work like this plays an important role in shaping safer and more adaptive communities for the future.

Congratulations to Nathanael Rosenheim on this publication and contribution to forward-thinking research

Read the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420926001482?via%3Dihub

Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Department
Texas A&M College of Architecture

04/23/2026

Kicking off the concluding public health focused summit for “Planning for Imminent Ignition in the Southern US” NSF funded project co-hosted with the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness.

Our work show convergence around community health impacts and systems and planning factors within wildfire and public health management, and we look forward to sharing additional insights from this critical summit.

04/21/2026

NHERI Summer Institute Alumni Spotlight Reshare!

Celebrating Maria Koliou, HRRC Faculty Fellow. Dr. Koliou is a leading expert in natural hazards engineering, focused on strengthening how communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme events.

Her work stands out for connecting advanced system-level simulations with real-world recovery outcomes—especially for vulnerable and underserved communities.

Leads a multi-institution National Science Foundation project under the Gulf Resilience Coastlines and People Focused Research Hub, with a focus on tribal community recovery

Secured $17.5M+ in research funding and plays an active leadership role in American Society of Civil Engineers and Structural Engineering Institute

Recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2021), Engineering Genesis Award (2023), and named an Ocean Decade Champion

From her PhD at the University at Buffalo to her impact at Texas A&M, Dr. Koliou continues to advance research that helps communities become more resilient, sustainable, and better prepared for the future

Read Dr. Koliou’s NHERI biography here: tx.ag/voXJVTX

Texas A&M College of Architecture
Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Department

04/10/2026

🎙️ New episode you don’t want to miss on People Behind the Plans.

In this powerful conversation, Marccus Hendricks, a Texas A&M alum and former Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center Graduate Research Assistant, explores disaster resilience, environmental justice, and the realities shaping the planning profession today—but what truly stands out is the legacy of the leaders who shaped his path.

He highlights the influence of mentors like Shannon Van Zandt, Walt Peacock, and John T. Cooper Jr.—figures whose work has been foundational in advancing equitable disaster recovery and community-centered planning.

Their impact is clear: a commitment to understanding not just how communities recover from disasters, but why some are more vulnerable in the first place.

From flood risk to infrastructure inequity, this episode is a reminder that planning is about more than systems—it’s about confronting hard truths and creating real change for those most at risk.

Listen now: tx.ag/zZ9IhBn

Texas A&M College of Architecture
Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Department