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1. A Sharing Meanings Approach for Interdisciplinary Hazards Research: Sharing Meanings Approach for Interdisciplinary Hazards Research

   https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13216  

   Hardy, R. Dean ( October 2018 , Risk Analysis)
2. Editorial: Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI): Mitigating the Impact of Natural Hazards on Civil Infrastructure and Communities

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2021.708450  

   Chowdhury, Arindam ; Conte, Joel ; Masters, Forrest ; Ramirez, Julio ; Ricles, James ( June 2021 , Frontiers in Built Environment)

   null (Ed.)
3. Identifying increasing risks of hazards for northern land-users caused by permafrost thaw: integrating scientific and community-based research approaches

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abfc79  

   Gibson, Carolyn M ; Brinkman, Todd ; Cold, Helen ; Brown, Dana ; Turetsky, Merritt ( May 2021 , Environmental Research Letters)

   Abstract Understanding the causes and consequences of environmental change is one of the key challenges facing researchers today as both types of information are required for decision making and adaptation planning. This need is particularly poignant in high latitude regions where permafrost thaw is causing widespread changes to local environments and the land-users who must adapt to changing conditions to sustain their livelihoods. The inextricable link between humans and their environments is recognized through socio-ecological systems research, yet many of these approaches employ top-down solutions that can lead to local irrelevance and create tensions amongst groups. We present and employ a framework for the use both of scientific and community-based knowledge sources that provides an enriched and thematic understanding of how permafrost thaw will affect northern land-users. Using geospatial modeling of permafrost vulnerability with community-based data from nine rural communities in Alaska, we show that permafrost thaw is a major driver of hazards for land-users and accounts for one-third to half of the hazards reported by community participants. This study develops an integrated permafrost-land-user system, providing a framework for thematic inquiry for future studies that will add value to large-scale institutional efforts and locally relevant observations of environmental change. 

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4. Incorporating Mental Health Research into Disaster Risk Reduction: An Online Training Module for the Hazards and Disaster Workforce

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031244  

   Evans, Candace M. ; Adams, Rachel M. ; Peek, Lori ( February 2021 , International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

   null (Ed.)

   There is an expansive and growing body of literature that examines the mental health consequences of disasters and large-scale emergencies. There is a need, however, for more explicit incorporation of mental health research into disaster risk reduction practices. Training and education programs can serve as a bridge to connect academic mental health research and the work of disaster risk reduction practitioners. This article describes the development and evaluation of one such intervention, the CONVERGE Disaster Mental Health Training Module, which provides users from diverse academic and professional backgrounds with foundational knowledge on disaster mental health risk factors, mental health outcomes, and psychosocial well-being research. Moreover, the module helps bridge the gap between research and practice by describing methods used to study disaster mental health, showcasing examples of evidence-based programs and tools, and providing recommendations for future research. Since its initial release on 8 October 2019, 317 trainees from 12 countries have completed the Disaster Mental Health Training Module. All trainees completed a pre- and post-training questionnaire regarding their disaster mental health knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests demonstrated a significant increase in all three measures after completion of the training module. Students, emerging researchers or practitioners, and trainees with a high school/GED education level experienced the greatest benefit from the module, with Kruskal–Wallis results indicating significant differences in changes in knowledge and skills across the groups. This evaluation research highlights the effectiveness of the Disaster Mental Health Training Module in increasing knowledge, skills, and attitudes among trainees. This article concludes with a discussion of how this training can support workforce development and ultimately contribute to broader disaster risk reduction efforts. 

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5. Natural Hazards Research Summit 2022: Establishing Fragility Curves for Seismic Resilience of Mass Timber Buildings with Self-Centering Cross-Laminated Timber Shear Walls

   https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-7we3-6106  

   Amer, Alia ; Ricles, James ; Sause, Richard ( January 2023 , Designsafe-CI)

   Driven by demand for sustainable buildings and a reduction in construction time, mass timber buildings, specifically cross-laminated timber (CLT), is being more widely used in mid-rise buildings in the US. Low damage post-tensioned self-centering (SC) CLT shear walls (SC-CLT walls) provide an opportunity to develop seismically resilient CLT buildings. Previous research focused primarily on the lateral-load response under unidirectional loading of isolated self-centering timber walls, without considering the interaction with the adjacent building structural components, i.e., the floor diaphragms, collector beams, and gravity load system. Buildings response under seismic loading is multidirectional and there are concerns that multidirectional loading may be more damaging to SC-CLT wall panels and the adjacent building structural components than unidirectional loading, which affects the potential seismic resilience of buildings with SC-CLT walls. A series of lateral-load tests of a 0.625-scale timber sub-assembly was conducted at the NHERI Lehigh Large-Scale Multi-Directional Hybrid Simulation Experimental Facility to investigate the the lateral-load response and damage of SC-CLT walls and the capability of the adjacent building structural components i.e., the floor diaphragms, collector beams, and gravity load system to accommodate the building response and the controlled-rocking of the SC-CLT walls under multidirectional lateral loading. 

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