NEWS
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New Resilient Futures Podcast: The Future of ASCE
In the face of immense global and national change, the world’s oldest engineering society is staying flexible. The American Society for Civil Engineers President, Marsha Bomar, joins our host Alysha Helmrich to speak to the power of diverse perspectives in building the future’s infrastructure and the need for interdisciplinary teams…
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Congratulations to IRIS affiliate Seth Wenger, on Athletic Association Professorship
We’d like to extend a hearty congratulations to Dr. Seth Wenger, Director of Science for the River Basin Center and a longtime Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems affiliate, for his recent appointment to an Athletic Association Professorship. Endowed seats, such as Wenger’s Athletic Association Professorship, play an important role in…
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The science behind mining the South’s biggest swamp
At 438,000 acres, the Okefenokee Swamp is one of the largest intact wetlands left on Earth. It’s also–once again–the subject of heated debate over the potential impacts of nearby mining. Over a 30-year saga, multiple plans to mine titanium dioxide (the material that helps brighten the whites of Oreo filling,…
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Van Rees illuminates path toward a more biodiverse future
Polls show the public widely supports protecting biodiversity, but how we get there—or even what a biodiverse future looks like—isn’t as clear. A new paper led by Odum School of Ecology assistant professor Charles van Rees is helping to chart a path to restoring and saving biodiversity, much like how…
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IRIS Year in Review: 25 Papers for 2025
2025 has been an eventful year for IRIS! As part of our annual, end-of-year tradition we’ve collected 25 papers from across 2025 (ordered by publication month) that showcase our unique interdisciplinary focus. The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems was chartered by the University of Georgia in late 2016. If you’d…
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Ensuring success for green agriculture technology– and the people who use it
Across the globe, new technologies are transforming the way we farm. From smart irrigation systems to genetically improved seeds, these innovations promise a future where agriculture is both profitable and sustainable. Programs around the world from nonprofit organizations, such as the Gates Foundation and World Bank, are pitching them as…
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Meet the IRIS students graduating this semester!
Friday, December 12 is the University of Georgia’s official convocation day for Fall 2025 graduates, and we’re proud to congratulate a number of students, including four of our Natural Infrastructure Fellows, as part of the graduating class! Elizabeth Collins, College of Engineering Advisor: Dr. Brock Woodson had the greatest impact…
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UGA River Basin Center: Gaur studies soils as an ecosystem
Gaur works in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, but her degrees all are in engineering.
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Matt Bilskie improving coastal resilience through collaboration and mentorship
The mood in Matt Bilskie’s office in the University of Georgia’s ISTEM complex is at odds with his area of study. Sunlight streams through a large window, highlighting a peaceful space centered around a painting of an ocean landscape. The space is tidy, though clearly well used, and radiates a…
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Natural Infrastructure class presents final projects with real-world impact
It’s finals week at the University of Georgia, but this class capped off their coursework outside the classroom. In a poster session held on Reading Day, December 3, the Fundamentals of Natural Infrastructure course (ENVE 8310) held a poster session to dicsuss their projects on Paradise Cut, a $1 billion…
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New Resilient Futures Podcast: The role of insurance in resilience
Disasters are affecting more people and property than they ever have before. Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced 400+ weather-related “billion dollar” disasters, $3 trillion in economic impacts, and thousands of lives and livelihoods. In the effort to build our disaster resilience as a society, what’s the role of insurance?…
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Early warning system will warn San Juan residents exactly which streets will flood: Featured in Yale Climate Connections
Research to create more advanced early warning flood systems in San Juan, Puerto Rico was recently featured by Yale Climate Connections. Funded by the National Science Foundation and led by IRIS affiliate Felix Santiago Cruz, the work combines the knowledge of locals about high-flood areas with inexpensive, solar-powered sensors. Read…
