Involved Research Projects
Interdisciplinary Computation and Analysis of Resilience (ICAR)
This interdisciplinary research project examined whether social and geographical disparities exist during the four phrases of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery). We used multiple perspectives and scales to address the research questions, including analysis at the community, individual, and organizational scales. Findings from this project will provide valuable insights into the interplay among regional disparities, individual social networks and behavior, and governmental/organizational policies. This project will expand knowledge of whether social media use may serve to overcome or further deepen the social and geographical disparities in each phase of emergency management.
Coupled Natural-Human System Modeling (CNH)
This interdisciplinary research project investigated the sustainability of coastal Louisiana that are especially vulnerable to natural resource losses and natural hazards. This region has endured multiple threats and disasters, such as land loss, subsidence, sea-level rise, flooding, hurricanes, and oil spills. The disappearance of land is a critical problem in the southern part of the region. During the past decade, significant population and economic growth has occurred in the northern part of the study area, whereas the southern part surrounding New Orleans has experienced population and economic decline. A pressing question is whether southern coastal Louisiana reached a tipping point that makes it too costly to sustain. If so, has the same type of economic and ecosystem functions gradually migrated to the neighboring region to the north?
Community Resilience Assessment (CRA)
Community resilience describes the ability of a community to 'bounce back' after a disaster event. Coastal communities around the world are facing mulitiple threats from natural hazards, including storm surges, hurricanes, and floods. Therefore, it is very important to enhance community resilience and realize coastal sustainability. However, community resilience is difficult to evaluate, due to the inconsistency in variable selection and indexing methods, as well as the lack of validation methods. The objectives of this study are to examine: (1) developing models to evaluate community resilience; (2) understanding how resilience varies across space and socioeconomic status; and (3) developing management tools to help public enhance disaster resilience.
Water Color Remote Sensing (WCRS)
Remote sensing data have been widely utilized to monitor water quality in oceans for decades. However, the application of remote sensing in monitoring inland turbid water is still challenging, due to the complicated composition of water constitutes in lakes or rivers. This study attempted to solve the above challenge by investigating the inherent optical and polarized properties of inland water body. The results can provide foundamental knowledge for radiation transmission and guide the development of algorithms for satellite monitoring of water quality in inland rivers and lakes.