WWU teacher gets $250,000 grant to study disaster impacts

ZOE FRALEY - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - A Western Washington University assistant professor has received a $250,000 grant to study the impacts of disaster on infrastructure and the economy.

Scott Miles, assistant professor of planning and environmental policy in the department of environmental studies, received the grant from the National Science Foundation Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Program.

For the past eight years, Miles has been developing a computer model of community losses and recovery after disasters. During the next four years, he will use data from Western Washington floods, landslides, storms and other disasters to study the damage from each and their effects on local business.

The study should provide insight into the relationship between services, such as highways and electrical and communications networks, and the economy, which could help decision-makers better prioritize after a disaster, Miles said.