Nebraska Engineering researchers win ASCE INSPIRE Best Paper award
Nov. 22, 2023 - A team of Nebraska Engineering researchers from the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction and Civil and Environmental Engineering won the Best Paper award at the ASCE Infrastructure Innovation & Adaptation for a Sustainable & Resilient World (INSPIRE) Conference, held Nov. 16-18 in Arlington, Virginia.
The paper, "Driving Factors of Rural Social Vulnerability for Communities at High Risk of Riverine Flooding in the United States," was co-authored by Ph.D. students Yasaman Ahmadi from the Durham School and Gabriela Gonzalez from civil engineering, and advisors Jennifer Lather, assistant professor in the Durham School, and Christine Wittich, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.
The team examined the differences in factors of social vulnerability and flooding risk between rural and urban areas in the U.S. Their findings show that rural counties with a high risk of riverine flooding have higher percentages of vulnerable populations, such as those living in poverty, without a high school diploma, over 65 years old, with disabilities, and living in mobile homes, compared to their urban counterparts.
This work was supported through a UNL Grand Challenges Planning Grant that Lather is leading - "Serving At-Risk Communities in Disasters."