NHERI Presents
Welcome to the NHERI Presents webinar series
In these monthly, 30-minute presentations, NHERI researchers provide details on ways their work is having an impact on engineering and science knowledge and practice. Please join us – and invite all of your colleagues to learn ways that NHERI research is making lives safer and infrastructure more resilient!
Up Next
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From Tornado Videos to Wind Data — A Physics-Based Framework for Inferring Near-Surface Wind Characteristics from Debris Flight ImageryDr. David Roueche, Gottlieb Associate Professor of Structural Engineering, Auburn University; Director, NSF Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance Network February 18, 2026 |
Upcoming Webinars
David Roueche, Auburn University
February 18, 2026
Carlos Molina Hutt, University of British Columbia
March 18, 2026
Barbara Simpson, Stanford University
April 8, 2026
Arash Khosravifar, Portland State University
May 20, 2026
Tori Tomiczek, U.S. Naval Academy
June 17, 2026
Mohammad Khosravi, Montana State University
July 15, 2026
NHERI Presents Archive
Large-Scale Experiments to Advance Knowledge on the Behavior of Steel Seismic Collectors toward Improved Design Procedures
with Dr. Robert Fleischman
January 21, 2026
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Natural Hazards Engineering (NHE) project is using two NHERI Experimental Facilities to advance knowledge on collectors in steel composite floor and roof systems, a poorly understood yet failure critical element in buildings. The research involves: (a) advanced computational simulation; (b) large-scale collector connection testing at NHERI Lehigh, and (c) unique shake table testing of a two-story collector sensitive structure at NHERI@UCSD. Impact from this work on infrastructure resiliency is seen through new design standards for critical loads and seismic detailing of steel composite collectors.
Expanding the scope of in-field post-wildfire investigations through NHERI
with Dr. Erica Fischer
December 17, 2025
Post-hazard investigations of communities require multi-faceted approaches to gain knowledge on the impacts of the hazard on communities. This presentation will explore how in-field data collection using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), lidar, and in-field measurements and observations can be coupled with finite element method (FEM) modeling to explore the fire demands within a school building. This type of research and coupling of data can help better understand the intensity of wildfires in a community.
Advancing Earthquake Resilience through Field-Scale Experimentation and Research-Industry Partnership
with Dr. Diane Moug
November 19, 2025
The Pacific Northwest is expecting a large, destructive earthquake from the Cascadia Subduction zone. However, much of the major infrastructure in the region was built on soils that are highly susceptible to earthquake liquefaction and before awareness of the seismic risk. Field-scale research is being conducted in Portland, Oregon to investigate microbially induced desaturation (MID) to reduce soil liquefaction susceptibility. MID is an innovative ground improvement method that can be applied beneath existing infrastructure, while being less disruptive and more economic than conventional methods. This field research demonstrates how academic collaborations and industry partnerships can enable advances to engineering knowledge and practice.
Disaster Reconnaissance A Catalyst for Discovery, Collaboration, Commitment, and Impact
with Dr. Elaina Sutley
October 22, 2025
There is nothing like the lessons learned from the field – standing with destruction all around you, talking to disaster victims about what comes next, and connecting these outcomes to the failures created by the status quo. This talk will share stories from the field providing examples on how those data and experiences have led to new partnerships and have been combined with computational modeling and experimental tests in state-of-the-art facilities to change building codes, standards, and federal disaster guidelines to improve community disaster resilience. The presentation will conclude by describing the partnerships and physical and cyber infrastructure critical for these research investigations and translations.
Accelerating Discovery in Wind Engineering Research: Fusing AI, Automation, and High-Throughput Experimentation
with Pedro L. Fernández-Cabán
October 1, 2025
This webinar will highlight how AI and state-of-the-art experimental instruments are transforming how researchers model wind hazard events and their impact on the built environment. The talk will cover novel wind tunnel approaches performed at the University of Florida (UF) NHERI Experimental Facility (EF) that integrate machine learning and automation to enhance the physical simulation of complex wind fields. These experimental capabilities allow researchers to explore a broad range of wind hazard conditions that affect civil infrastructure, while boosting data efficiency and reproducibility.