UofM’s CAESER Adds Division of Adaptation and Resilience

January 29, 2024 — The damaging effects of climate change on the natural world and its inhabitants here in the Mid-South and beyond will be the focus of a newly created division at the University of Memphis.

The Division of Adaptation and Resilience expands the capacity of the Center for Applied Earth Sciences and Engineering (CAESER), addressing community needs in a critical area at a critical time. Leading this new division will be Dr. Janey Smith Camp, a nationally recognized expert in this field who last was director of the Vanderbilt Engineering Center for Transportation and Operational Resiliency. Camp's research uses data, GIS and modeling to inform long-term planning decisions for infrastructure systems.

“I’m thrilled to join the CAESER team,” said Camp, who earned her PhD in environmental engineering from Vanderbilt in 2009.There are so many synergies with my work and opportunities to grow the division and the other divisions to make a difference while helping communities at all levels and sizes prepare for the future.”

Camp has led and contributed to projects sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Waterway Foundation and several other agencies.

CAESER Director Dr. Brian Waldron views this addition as beneficial to the Memphis metropolitan area and beyond because it expands CAESER’s capacity to address community needs in a critical area with a focus on saving lives and protecting infrastructure. It also complements the other CAESER divisions in water, mapping, transportation and public outreach.

The Division of Adaptation and Resilience will work to support, educate and advance communities’ efforts to prepare and respond to disruptions from a range of disruptive events including climatic changes, natural hazards and other risks. Data and tools such as GIS  will be central to helping inform decisions for planning and resource management utilizing a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that considers both social, natural and built systems collectively.

CAESER's mission is to strengthen communities by improving the environmental and social conditions through collaboration and research. This new division's research will support this mission by making a tangible impact on the lives of people both close to home and worldwide.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Godwin
Director of Media and Public Relations
jennifer.godwin@memphis.edu
(O) 901.678.4822 (M) 501.529.7482