“Risky Business”: Protecting Our Communities and Infrastructure

Catalog description

This course covers key elements to understand physical and social vulnerabilities: namely the impact disasters (and threats) have on societies and communities, their members, and the technical systems that enable them to thrive. While emphasizing the negative impacts, this class will also highlight the positive lessons learned and novel developments in engineering that can increase our capacity to cope. Modern society is complex tapestry of individuals, groups, organizations, firms, agencies, and connective infrastructure that enables them to communicate and organize, and disasters - from mass shootings to hurricanes to wildfires to cyber-attacks - can damage or disrupt these complex systems and relationships. This class will use examples from historic and current events to discuss the impacts and lessons learned from communities and critical infrastructure.