Author: Sarah Bassil

The Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC) is excited to be collaborating with Sharing To Accelerate Research–TransformativeInnovation for Development and Emergency Support (STAR-TIDES) on its 16th Annual Tech Demo at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The three-day conference is scheduled for April 17-19, 2023 and will feature a number of panels, speakers, and exhibits. The theme of this year’s program is Sustainable Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. Exhibits will include areas such as energy; housing & infrastructure, water, sanitation & hygiene; mobility & transportation; health care and public health. Additionally, companies and organizations that exhibit at George Mason University will be invited to participate in the TIDES follow-on event at the Pentagon Center Courtyard from April 20-21, 2023. For more information and registration for the free and public event, please click here

 

C-RASC Member Dr. Karina V. Korostelina and C-RASC Graduate Research Fellow Jocelyn Barrett  have recently published their research article titled “Bridging the digital divide for Native American tribes: Roadblocks to broadband and community resilience.”

As the abstract notes, the paper “discusses the difficulties tribal nations have faced in developing their education, economy, and access to healthcare and public safety due to the roadblocks in building this infrastructure within their tribes.”

Click here to read their research.

Meet C-RASC’s graduate research fellows: Ms. Jocelyn Barrett and Mr. Babak Aslani. 

Jocelyn Barrett is a doctoral candidate at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, where she focuses on Conflict Analysis and Genocide Prevention Studies. Since 2021, Ms. Barrett has served as a graduate research fellow at GMU’s Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC).

Working with Dr. Katherine Laskey and Dr. Karina Korostelina at C-RASC, Ms. Barrett’s research focuses on empowering Native American communities through access to broadband development. Her work is a result of the many roadblocks in broadband that these communities faced before and during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. For reference, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that in 2020, 18% of people living on tribal lands couldn’t access broadband service, compared to 4% of people in non-tribal areas. In the future, Ms. Barrett hopes to expand her research to include additional underserved communities on a global scale.

Outside of her research at C-RASC, Ms. Barrett is the Visiting Scholars Program Coordinator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC and loves to travel.

Babak Aslani is a doctoral candidate at the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University, where he focuses on Systems Engineering and Operations Research. His research interests include optimization, evolutionary algorithms, machine learning, and multi-criteria decision-making. Since 2020, Mr. Aslani has served as a graduate research fellow at GMU’s Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC). 

Working with Dr. Shima Mohebbi at C-RASC, Mr. Aslani’s research is focused on protecting critical infrastructures, such as water and transportation, from natural disasters and cyber-attacks. In essence, his research helps infrastructure management restore the affected systems faster to standard service level. In addition, Mr. Aslani’s work aims to identify and empower vulnerable communities, which are severely impacted by disastrous situations, in efforts to prepare for future incidents.

Outside of his research, Mr. Aslani is a fan of soccer and movies. 

Dr. Lance Sherry is a Co-Director at the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities and an Associate Professor in the Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department at the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University. 

Dr. Sherry brings over 30 years of experience in strategic planning, system engineering, project management, and product commercialization. In the aviation industry, Dr. Sherry held positions as flight-test engineer, flight control engineer, system engineer, lead system architect, program manager, strategic planning and business development. 

Dr., Sherry’s research focuses on climate-related financial risks, climate adaptation modeling, and cost/benefit analysis. Furthermore, Dr. Sherry’s team develops and applies agent-based models, big data analytics, and AI/ML to develop actionable plans and practical solutions. Topics include aircraft contrail mitigation, renewable energy, CO2 recovery, EV charging station planning, and city-wide digital-twins. 

Dr. Sherry has conducted award winning work, published over 100 papers and journal articles, and holds several patents. 

 

Dr. Celso Ferreira is a Co-Director of the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities and an Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering at the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University.

Having experienced extreme weather events in Brazil, his work in investigating and developing solutions for flood related natural hazards has focused largely on coastal communities.

Dr. Ferreira’s work is concentrated on flood hazards from coastal, riverine, and urban environments and includes real time flood forecasting, monitoring storm surges, and supporting incorporation of natural systems into coastal flood defenses.

After several years at Mason, he recently joined the leadership team of C-RASC in efforts to continue and advance much needed research in this transdisciplinary field. As the global community faces the ramifications of climate change, Dr. Ferreira’s contributions on empowering coastal communities elevates the integral mission of C-RASC.

“My work with C-RASC is an opportunity to work in a diverse, interdisciplinary research center focusing on helping the coastal communities most affected by flooding and other extreme weather,” said Dr. Ferreira.

Outside of his professional work, Dr. Ferreira is an avid surfer and enjoys spending time on the beautiful hiking trails of Northern Virginia with his two young children.

 

Dr. Paul Houser is the Executive Director of the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities and a Professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences at the College of Science.

Dr. Houser is an internationally recognized expert in hydrology and water resources, climate dynamics and prediction, community of practice development, decision support tool design, scientific integrity, and capacity building.

After developing an interest in hydrology at an early age, Dr. Houser spent more than a decade at the NASA-GSFC Hydrological Sciences Branch and the Data Assimilation Office before joining George Mason University in 2005.

As Executive Director, Dr. Houser is particularly proud of C-RASC’s transdisciplinary and co-director structure, noting that the “various Departments complement the complex work we are doing.” Additionally, he points to the STAR-TIDES (Sharing To Accelerate Research – Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support) network as being integral to C-RASC’s mission and impact.

Looking ahead, Dr. Houser is excited for the influence that drones can make in the battle to increase water and energy security, and reduce transportation costs. In regards to research, Dr. Houser is motivated to continue and expand the study of sustainable communities and their response to climate disasters.

 

 

Dr. Kathryn Laskey is the Founding Director and Director Emerita of the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities. Before her retirement in May of 2022, she spent decades as a Professor of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University.

Long before the start of her career at George Mason University in 1990, Dr. Laskey was always interested in using math to make the world a better place. Whether it was projects related to artificial intelligence or insider threats, her goal was to use data to understand and find solutions to important and challenging problems. 

When the call for a transdisciplinary center was made in 2018, she and others answered enthusiastically. 

Her passion for combining various disciplines in efforts to find creative solutions was instrumental in the establishment of C-RASC. For many years, she worked tirelessly to ensure that the foundation of the research center was one that would not only withstand the test of time, but thrive under any condition. 

“Having the opportunity to lead C-RASC was the highlight of my career,” said Dr. Laskey.

As mentioned, Dr. Laskey recently retired from George Mason University to spend time with her family, including three beautiful grandchildren. She continues to assist the Mason and C-RASC communities by serving on the STAR-TIDES Advisory Committee and any project that comes her way. 

As part of the 8th Science Summit at the 77th United Nations General Assembly, STAR-TIDES organized a virtual panel discussion entitled “Building Resilient Societal/Communal Responses to Environmental Changes.” Click here to watch a recording of the panel.