IRIS News


  • Fear and hope at the heart of new IRIS publication: Innovating Through Nature-Positive Engineering

    Fear and hope at the heart of new IRIS publication: Innovating Through Nature-Positive Engineering

    For centuries, Western civilization has engineered infrastructure that contains and controls nature. In a recent article, IRIS researchers argue that this dated perspective has gotten us into trouble. In order to survive and hopefully thrive through the many challenges modern society faces, we must work with nature. The article, “Innovating through Nature-Positive Engineering: How Can…

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  • Two engineering students to defend masters theses next week!

    Two engineering students to defend masters theses next week!

    Next week is an exciting one here at IRIS, with two students defending their Masters theses! Check them out: ⎯ “Redefining the Bounds of approximations to the Sant-Venant Equations for Overland and Riverine Flows in Compound Flood Simulations” Logan Bayer, MS candidate in Engineering, Emphasis in Environmental Engineering Date: Wednesday, October 30, 8:30amLocation: I-STEM 2…

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  • Students: don’t miss out on upcoming scholarship opportunity!

    Students: don’t miss out on upcoming scholarship opportunity!

    IRIS partner Anchor QEA’s 2024 scholarship is now accepting applicants! Eligible students can apply through November 20, 2024, and recipients will be announced in January 2025. Our scholarship awards funding to individuals who fit the following criteria: Since 1999, Anchor has QEA presented more than 170 scholarships to graduate students across the country, and we…

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  • Expressing condolences to Sapelo Island community after dock collapse

    Expressing condolences to  Sapelo Island community after dock collapse

    The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the Sapelo Island community following the collapse of a ferry dock gangway that led to 7 deaths and severe injuries. The collapse happened while crowds were gathered to celebrate the island’s Gullah-Geechee community. The event, Cultural Day, is an annual event…

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  • Monika Giri selected as a Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science fellow

    Monika Giri selected as a Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science fellow

    Monika Giri, PhD student with UGA’s Department of Anthropology, has been selected as a Community Science Fellow with the Thriving Earth Exchange, an initiative of the American Geophysical Union that connects fellows and scientists with communities across the United States, Mexico, and South America to co-develop projects tailored to local priorities. Over the next 12-18 months,…

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  • Welcoming a new adjunct faculty member, Dr. Amanda Tritinger, to the team! 

    Welcoming a new adjunct faculty member, Dr. Amanda Tritinger, to the team! 

    ATHENS, GA – We’re very excited to welcome a new adjunct faculty member to the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) team: Dr. Amanda Tritinger, Deputy Program Manager of the Engineering With Nature Initiative at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Tritinger has worked extensively with the IRIS team as part of the Network…

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  • New Podcast Episode: The Resilient Future of Solar Power

    New Podcast Episode: The Resilient Future of Solar Power

    A new episode of the Resilient Futures Podcast is here, featuring hosts Alysha Helmrich and Todd Bridges! Lauren McPhillips didn’t always dream of being a professor, but she knew she loved solving problems. After earning three degrees in Earth systems science and environmental engineering at Cornell University, McPhillips completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Arizona…

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  • The End of Chevron Deference: Adam Orford discusses a new era of administrative and environmental law with River Basin Center

    The End of Chevron Deference: Adam Orford discusses a new era of administrative and environmental law with River Basin Center

    Last week, Dr. Adam Orford of the UGA School of Law led a conversation over lunch at the River Basin Center titled The End of Chevron Deference: Understanding the Implications of Recent Supreme Court Decisions on Environmental Protection. Here’s what you need to know: Quick review: There are three branches of government: Legislative: Writes laws…

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  • Make a Dam Decision: Facilitating Dam Removals Through New Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis Tool

    Make a Dam Decision: Facilitating Dam Removals Through New Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis Tool

    Originally published here by the Network for Engineering With Nature. Dams across the United States are aging, with the cost to repair or remove all known deficient non-federal dams estimated at over $1.5 billion. Even for functioning dams, there may still be a number of reasons to remove them, from emissions reduction to flood risk…

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  • Learn about compound flooding with Weather Geeks

    Learn about compound flooding with Weather Geeks

    What is compound flooding and what does it have to do with Hurricane Helene? Learn all about it on the recent Weather Geeks podcast, where IRIS affiliate Matt Bilskie, whose research centers on modeling flood events on the coast, was interviewed about his work by Marshall Shepherd, the IRIS Climate and Outreach Director and Georgia…

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  • IRIS hosts Public Engagement Event to invite comments on inaugural National Nature Assessment

    IRIS hosts Public Engagement Event to invite comments on inaugural National Nature Assessment

    ATHENS, GA – On the evening of October 1, interested parties from across the University of Georgia and beyond gathered to discuss the upcoming National Nature Assessment, or NNA1. This nationwide collaboration aims to better understand the role of nature in the lives of people across the country. IRIS Professor of Practice Todd Bridges serves…

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  • Todd Bridges invited to speak to President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council 

    Todd Bridges invited to speak to President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council 

    The scope and increasing scale of disasters is a serious national challenge. Leaders on the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) have been charged with advising the White House on how to reduce risk and improve the security and resilience of our nation’s infrastructure and communities. The NIAC recently invited Dr. Todd Bridges, Professor of…

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