Two major NSF grants fund bold collaborations in earthquake engineering and surface process science
visionary
ventures THE EARTH SHUDDERS, AND A STACKED FREEWAY OVERPASS COLLAPSES
onto the deck below, snapped in two like a broken chocolate bar. A docile river morphs into a roiling torrent that surges over its banks and engulfs everything in its path. Encrusted with frail shacks that house a teeming city’s poorest residents, an entire hillside melts away in a giant mudslide, burying the occupants and their dreams of a better life. ■ The aftermath of a natural disaster evokes sympathy, relief money, volunteer assistance, and a sincere hope that something can be done to prevent or abate such catastrophes. Other crises—nascent, silent, unobtrusive—rarely disturb the consciousness of most people, for the problems and challenges of everyday life frequently trump long-term perspective. ■ Fortunately, a cadre of researchers around the world remains
NCED TEAM: Professors Chris Paola, Gary Parker, and Efi Foufoula-Georgiou 28
INVENTING TOMORROW Spring 2003
BY MARGARET KAETER www.it.umn.edu
www.it.umn.edu
■
PHOTOS BY JONATHAN CHAPMAN INVENTING TOMORROW Spring 2003
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