The identification of best practices for the design and operation of resilient engineered systems by considering the designer, artefact, and user (DAU) socio-technical eco-system

This research is driven by some of the most egregious examples of engineering failures that have arisen from the emergence of unanticipated system behaviors; these failures have resulted in unfortunate casualties, damage to or loss of property, and calamitous impacts to the environment. Examples include the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Three Mile Island accident, and […]

Cognitive Barriers to Understanding Complexity in Human-Technical Systems: Evidence from Engineering Students and Practitioners

According to the National Academy of Engineering, poor understanding of complex human-technical systems, i.e., systems that have many interacting parts, has been a major cause of “man made disasters” that include, for example, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Various studies show that even well-schooled […]

Collaborative Research: Multi-Perspective Evacuation Performance Measurement

The consequences of performing well in an evacuation are many. They range from utilizing scarce resources, to saving lives and protecting property, to securing politically viable decisions when a disaster occurs. However, there is limited consensus among various stakeholder groups as to what constitutes a successful evacuation. Since Hurricane Katrina, some evacuation issues have been […]