Natural Disasters, Climate Change & Extreme Weather Research

Severe weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods bring the complex challenges posed by natural disasters and environmental hazards to the forefront of WPI’s research projects and labs. The university’s interdisciplinary approach brings together faculty experts and student researchers to develop innovative solutions that help communities better prepare for and respond to natural disasters while also aiding in developing effective planning for disaster recovery. Whether looking at issues around climate change, solutions in climate tech, or the impacts of extreme weather, WPI has wide expertise in natural disasters.

From WPI Research to Real-World Solutions

Climate Change

WPI offers programs in climate adaptation, sustainability, and justice, addressing emissions, renewable energy, and environmental impacts.

Climate Tech

The clean technology and energy sectors face increasing demand for innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change and increase and reinforce resiliency in communities.

Sustainability

WPI’s commitment to sustainability extends far beyond our Worcester campus. The campus is a living and learning laboratory where community members generate innovative solutions to the changing planet’s challenges.

Areas of Expertise

Wildfires, fire safety, wildland fires, and more

Fire

As one of the few universities in the nation with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in fire protection engineering, our experts are fluent in wildfires, fire safety, fire origin, fire causes, and fire investigations, among other topics.

All Fire Experts Latest News

Featured Fire Experts

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James Urban

Associate Professor & Interim Department Head, Fire Protection Engineering

Professor James Urban conducts research focused on the physical processes controlling whether or not flammable material ignites and then understanding how it burns. Much of this research has focused on small, hot objects such as firebrands (burning debris from an existing fi [...]

Albert Simeoni

Professor, Fire Protection Engineering

WPI Professor Albert Simeoni is a renowned wildfire expert and leader in fire behavior research. He is at the forefront of understanding the complex dynamics of wildland fires and the critical risks they post to both people and property. His wildfire research focuses on the unusu [...]

Shichao Liu

Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering

Professor Liu’s research focuses on built and urban environment, occupant-building-environment interaction, and integrated design for sustainable and healthy buildings. Recent studies include the impact of wildfire smoke on air quality both outdoors and indoors, the optimal condi [...]

Milosh Puchovsky

Professor of Practice & Associate Department Head, Fire Protection Engineering

Professor Puchovsky is an expert on fire protection systems, means of egress and associated regulatory requirements. He possesses 30 plus years of experience in the field having designed and evaluated a wide range of active and passive fire safety products, strategies and systems [...]

Hurricane

With the research connections between hurricanes and climate change, WPI experts can provide insight on research related to both topics.

The Global School

Hurricane Experts

Mimi Sheller

Professor, The Global School

Mimi Sheller is a widely cited expert in the post-colonial context of the Caribbean, with particular expertise on Haiti. Sheller also founded and directed the Center for Mobilities Research and Policy, an interdisciplinary field that studies the movement of people, objects, [...]

Mingjiang Tao

Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering

Mingjiang Tao teaches geotechnical and pavement engineering to prepare students for careers in civil engineering. He studies highway infrastructure engineering with a goal of advancing sustainable engineering practices. He is an expert on pavement and can speak about how extreme [...]

Sara Saberi

Associate Professor, The Business School

Prof. Saberi’s main research focus is on applying game theory models in different aspects of supply chain management. Especially, in theoretically and empirically exploring and expanding the research on modeling service-oriented networks where multiple decision-makers face confli [...]

Two WPI Students standing with clipboards on a mountain

Earthquake

While earthquake prediction is an important scientific development, the aftereffects of natural disasters—such as managing earthquake hazards and disaster recovery—are also essential to the big picture.

Experts on Earthquakes

Carrick Eggleston

Professor, Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering

Professor Eggleston’s research is focused on natural materials and how they interact with the environment in which we live. His teaching interests include scientific and technical aspects of geochemistry, solar energy and semiconductor electrochemistry, surface and interface chem [...]

Avalanches

It’s tough to predict avalanche natural disasters, but WPI researchers are able to speak to the natural causes of an avalanche and the effects of an avalanche on a community.

Experts on Avalanches

Peter Hansen

Professor & Program Liaison for International & Global Studies,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

In addition to being a professor of history, Professor Hansen is the Director of International and Global Studies at WPI. In this role, responsibilities include enhancing the curricular components of WPI’s global programs, exploring new partnerships, and advising students in glob [...]

Natural Disasters