2024 Media Watch Archives
Poor Communities Pay Highest Costs Because Of Flawed Flood Risk Models
Forbes -
The disparities between these [flood risk] models are not just academic—they have real-world consequences. As the UCI study revealed, discrepancies between model predictions can result in vastly different risk assessments for neighborhoods with different demographic profiles. This divergence is particularly concerning for marginalized communities, which are already more vulnerable to environmental hazards due to factors like historical neglect, economic disparity, and reduced access to resources. Read More
Urban planning may worsen flood risks in cities
Environmental Health News -
A study from UC Irvine suggests that urban street layouts and building density may be exacerbating flood severity in areas already vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change. … “Detailed modeling worldwide is presently impossible for many cities because of inadequate data, so our team was motivated to develop a new way of looking at flood risk based on the form of the built urban environment.” Says Sarah Balaian, a doctoral candidate in civil and environmental engineering at UC Irvine. Read More
AI Engineering: The next frontier for research and technological advances
ZDNet -
This intersection between AI and traditional engineering is rapidly becoming its own formal discipline called AI Engineering. To explore this, ZDNET had the opportunity to discuss AI Engineering with Pramod Khargonekar, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and computer science and vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
Hydrogen cars flopped, but fuel cells are finding new life in trucks and boats
The Verge -
Jacob [Jack] Brouwer was one of those early adopters of hydrogen. … But these days, he drives a Tesla. It doesn’t reflect well on hydrogen when the director of UC Irvine’s Clean Energy Institute has decided that a car made by Elon Musk is preferable to one that runs on fuel cells. He blames California’s energy regulators for fumbling the rollout, failing to get to the promised 200 stations and leaving the project incomplete. … “Electricity goes to every business,” Brouwer said. “Electricity is available everywhere, but hydrogen isn’t.” He thinks it can get there. Read More
New statistical mechanics formula suggests urban street networks and building density shape severity of floods
Tech Xplore -
New research from the University of California, Irvine suggests that urban form, specifically the building density and street network of a neighborhood, is also affecting the intensity of flooding. … "Application of statistical mechanics has yielded an analytical model that can project neighborhood-scale flood hazards anywhere in the world," says Co-author Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. … The platform has been demonstrated to show links between flood losses, urban form and observed rainfall extremes." Lead author Sarah Balaian, a UC Irvine Ph.D. candidate in civil and environmental engineering, said that we can expect the future to be marked by more severe weather events and that concentrated masses of people, many of whom lack the means of protection or escape, will be heavily affected by urban flooding. Read More
Urban street setup and building density may be intensifying flood severity: Study
The Hill -
The setup and density of urban neighborhoods may be exacerbating the intensity of flood risks in areas already suffering from climate-induced weather extremes, University of California (UC) researchers determined in a new study. … “Detailed modeling worldwide is presently impossible for many cities because of inadequate data, so our team was motivated to develop a new way of looking at flood risk based on the form of the built urban environment,” said Lead author Sarah Balaian, a UC Irvine doctoral candidate in civil and environmental engineering. Read More
Back to school with stem knowledge and life experience
KCBS -
Fiona Pauli is one of 15 high school students accepted into UC Irvine’s prestigious Cosmos program, a month-long science camp. “It started in the year 2000 as a way for the state of California to entice the next generation of student leaders,” said Elizabeth Crook, UCI Cosmos director. Gifted students from across the state are invited to research labs at UC campuses. For Pauli, her interest in STEM started in kindergarten. [She and] Logan Gao are part of the sustainable aircraft systems group led by Assistant Professor Jacqueline Huynh. … As a former Cosmos student from 2009 herself, she’s exactly what the program hopes to produce. “As a direct result of the Cosmos program, I wanted to come back to UC Irvine to study aerospace engineering. It’s resulted in full circle as I am now back here as a professor.” Read More
Iran’s Extreme Heatwave Underscores Urgent Need For Climate Action
Forbes -
But with temperatures in Iran rapidly rising, experts are urging the government and international organizations to ramp up efforts to address a lesser-discussed crisis at hand. Unfortunately, “when it comes to heatwaves, they don’t get the attention they deserve,” says Amir Aghakouchak, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
Half Their Land Burned in a Decade: The California Counties Constantly on Fire
The New York Times -
Over the past decade, most California counties have seen double the area burned compared with the area burned in the previous decade. … It’s not necessarily the case that more large fires are burning now than in previous decades, but the ones that do ignite are charring through much more land, according to Tirtha Banerjee, a professor and wildfire researcher at the University of California, Irvine. “What that says to me is that fires are getting more intense and more severe, and behaving in more unexpected ways,” he said. Read More
STEM Tea | How to lead a lab
BioTechniques -
In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Quinton Smith, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine (CA, USA). Here, Quinton discusses his journey into academia, his lab’s research and how he balances life with work, blocking out time to look after his mental health. Read More