2026 NHERI Computational Symposium Brings Together Leading Experts in Natural Hazards Engineering

June 3, 2026

Symposium plenary session (Photo by Adam Lau/UC Berkeley Engineering)

 

Poster session reception (Photo by Adam Lau/UC Berkeley Engineering)

 

 Networking break (Photo by Adam Lau/UC Berkeley Engineering)

 

 Pre-symposium NHERI Workshop (Photo by Grace Kang/UC Berkeley Engineering)

"Innovation through Collaboration"

The 2026 NHERI Computational Symposium, hosted by SimCenter in collaboration with RAPID and DesignSafe, took place on May 28–29 at UC Berkeley's Grimes Engineering Center. Under the theme "Innovation through Collaboration," the event drew more than 180 researchers, government representatives, and industry practitioners from across the natural hazards engineering and social science communities. The two-day symposium served as a dynamic forum for interdisciplinary exchange, spanning fields including wind, flood, wildfire, tsunami and storm surge, earthquake engineering, uncertainty quantification, multi-hazards, and community impacts.

By the Numbers

  • 114 Presentations – Featuring 2 keynote addresses, 6 spotlight talks, and informational sessions on SimCenter, DesignSafe, and RAPID resources. Lightning presentations offered concise overviews of key research findings across multiple hazard domains.
  • 14 Poster Presentations – Highlighting ongoing research projects and initiatives focused on reducing the impact of natural hazards on communities and infrastructure.
  • 4 Breakout Sessions – Providing focused discussions on SimCenter tools, RAPID capabilities, and DesignSafe resources.
  • Technical Training Workshop – Engaging 50 participants eager to deepen their skills in specialized areas supported by RAPID, DesignSafe, and SimCenter.

Keynote Speakers

We extend our sincere gratitude to our keynote speakers, Seth Guikema and Helen Crowley, whose insights set the tone for two days of thought-provoking discussion and helped frame the symposium's central focus on collaborative innovation in natural hazards research.

Acknowledgments

The success of the NHERI Computational Symposium would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the organizing committee, whose vision and planning brought this event to life. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), whose funding enabled the convening of leading experts to address some of the most pressing challenges in natural hazards engineering and community resilience.