Sharing Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience Highlights, Research News, Events and Industry Happenings

Joined 'The Risky Science Podcast' to Discuss: "Fixing the Risk Modeling Gap: Building a Bridge between Academia and the Private Sector."
Dr. Paolo Bocchini, Director of the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience (CAT), and Director of the Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe Modeling (CERCat), joins The Risky Science Podcast to discuss research and innovation in catastrophe risk modeling. "Research in academia and in the private sector has been progressing independently, with minimal interaction," he says. "That results in duplicated efforts and lost opportunities for synergy." The newly launched Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe

The Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe Modeling (CERCat) is Established!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our research consortium dedicated to advancing the fields of catastrophe modeling and resilience. This dynamic initiative led by Lehigh University and Rice University will build strong partnerships between leading university researchers and expert industry professionals. By uniting academic rigor with practical expertise, CERCat aims to tackle critical research challenges and collectively elevate the standards and capabilities within the catastrophe modeling sector. We eagerly anticipate the groundbreaking advancements
Presented at the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) 2025 Conference
From May 27 - 30th, 2025, representatives from the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience (CAT), attended the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) 2025 Conference in Anaheim, CA. It was a busy few days and Ph.D. students Sena Mursel and Urinrin Otite represented our Center by presenting their research to attentive audiences. Urinrin presented on: “Multi-dimensional wind fragility curves for steel transmission monopoles under extreme wind events” While Sena spoke about: “Improving the accuracy of response
15th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering
Representatives from the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience (CAT), and from the newly established Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe Modeling (CERCat)*, were pleased to attend the 15th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (ACWE) in St. Louis, MO from May 19-22, 2025. CERCat faculty member, Dr. Grace Yan was the Chair for this year’s conference as it was hosted by the Center for Hazard Mitigation & Community Resilience (HMCR) and Missouri S&T. Dr. Yan

Attended the 2025 World Bosai Forum in Sendai City, Japan
Dr. Ethan Yang, a faculty member in the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience, and Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh University, attended the 2025 World Bosai Forum in Sendai City, Japan from March 7th to March 10th, 2025. "Bosai" is the Japanese word for disaster prevention and mitigation. Dr. Yang represented the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience and participated in a panel discussion co-hosted by NSF and

We're Attending the RAA Cat Risk Management Conference in Orlando, FL
Our Center is attending the 2025 Cat Risk Management Conference hosted by the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) in Orlando, FL. Join us for our Breakout Session on February 27th from 9:30 - 10AM when Dr. Paolo Bocchini discusses Education and Academic Research in Cat Modeling: Opportunities for Collaboration
2024: The Year in Photos
Relive some of the biggest moments from the past year at Lehigh.
Lehigh Alumni Aid in Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts in North Carolina
Ashley Kreitz ’15 has raised nearly $10,000 and recruited fellow alumni to help restore damaged homes in North Carolina.
National Organizations Learn about Lehigh-led Center for Climate, Resilience and Equity in Catastrophe Modeling
Poised to establish and lead an Industry-University Research Center, Lehigh University hosted a workshop Oct. 17-18 bringing national experts in natural disaster risk and insurance to the Mountaintop Campus.

CERCat IUCRC Planning Meeting Hosted on Campus
In October we hosted over 100 leading cat modeling experts from industry, government, and academia to work together towards establishing an NSF and NOAA funded Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) called: Climate, Equity, and Resilience in Catastrophe Modeling (CERCat). CERCat will bring together leaders in the field to steer research projects to address identified needs. Our Center will also build a broader ecosystem for recruiting, networking, and training.

Climate Resilience Center Awarded
The Department of Energy has awarded a Climate Resilience Center at Lehigh. Dr. Ethan Yang will serve as PI, and we are recruiting!
Lehigh's First University Research Center to Focus on Catastrophe Modeling
The first of three new University Research Centers, The Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience aims to explore how hurricanes, pandemics and other large-scale events impact communities.

NSF Awards IUCRC Planning Grant
The National Science Foundation has awarded a planning grant to pursue an Industry University Cooperative Research Center in Catastrophe Modeling.
Lehigh’s Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience Receives NSF Planning Grant to Pursue Industry-University Cooperative Research Center
Grant will strengthen Lehigh’s Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience as a nationally recognized research center.

CatModeling Workshop 2023
The leadership team of the Catastrophe Modeling Coordination Network met leaders from the private sector, public sector, and academia for a day long workshop at the Millennium Downtown Hotel, New York City on Friday, March 31 (2023) to formally launch the center.

The CatModeling Tour Continues

Applications Are Open
Applications for our Master's Degree in Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience and the associated Graduate Certificate are now open.

Graduate Degrees Officially Approved
Lehigh University's Senate officially approved the new Master of Science in Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience, and the Graduate Certificate in Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience. These programs are the first in the world! Applications will open very soon.

CatModeling & Resilience with Transportation Officials
Dr. Bocchini presented the activities of the Catastrophe Modeling Center and Coordination Network at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the AASHTO’s Committee on Transportation System Security and Resilience.

CatModeling Center Participates in Influenza Forecast
Dr. McAndrew's team has been selected to participate in the 2023-24 Influenza Forecasting program with their proposal for the "Development of Forecasts and/or Scenario Projections for Influenza to Inform Public Health Decision-Making."

Optimal Sampling Strategies
Functional Quantization is an excellent sampling strategy for many practical applications involving random processes and fields. At one of the most important international conferences in the field (ICASP 14 in Dublin, Ireland), Sena Mursel showed that Functional Quantization can be improved and tailored to optimize performance on the statistics we care the most about.

Center Featured in Keynote at ICASP 14
Dr. Jamie Padgett (Rice University), one of the leaders of our CatModeling Coordination Network, gave a broad-ranging and insightful keynote speech at ICASP 14 and listed our efforts among the many tackling risk, resilience, and extreme event research.

CatModelers at Engineering Mechanics Conference
Ms. Xinyue Wang presents the work of the Center at the 2023 Conference of the Engineering Mechanics Institute in Atlanta. She is paving the way for class vulnerability curves for transmission towers.

New CatModeler from the Center
Mohanad Khazaali, newly hooded doctor, keeps up the tradition of the center at Verisk - Extreme Event Solutions, certainly one of the most prominent CatModeling firms in the world.

The Brilliance of Resilience
The Geisinger School of Medicine organized the "Resilience Colloquium 2023: The Brilliance of Resilience." The research and educational programs of the Catastrophe Modeling Center were featured in one of the keynotes.

Catastrophe Modeling and Data (Private Sector, Public Sector and Academia)

Wildfire Risk Assessment

Individual Risk Factors Affect the Risk of Disease Spillover

A Sharper Focus on Cat Modeling

Lehigh University Researchers Track Bats to Predict Next Ebola Outbreak
