To demonstrate its commitment to a sustainable, resilient future, the American Society of Civil Engineers hosted its Infrastructure Innovation and Adaptation for a Sustainable and Resilient World (INSPIRE) Conference Nov. 16-18 in Arlington, Virginia. In the closing ceremony, on behalf of the conference organizing committee, Dr. Grace Yan, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, announced the award winners of the best papers and best posters of the conference. Yan was proud to announce that Rebecca Herndon, a Ph.D. student studying civil engineering, won the Best Poster Award.

In addition to presenting research and leading parallel sessions, Yan organized a panel discussion titled “Equitable Resilience and Climate Change Adaption.” Panelists included leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Building Sciences, BuildStrong Coalition and the Department of Defense Climate Action Team. They discussed how equitable resilience can be built in the face of climate change, ensuring that the burden is shared more fairly. At the end, Yan summarized the insights and perspectives of the panelists and provided the following takeaways: equity is at the heart of resilience, collaboration is key, inclusivity matters, and now is the time for action.