Civil engineering adjunct professor Leta Huntsinger (pictured) speaks at a panel discussion Tuesday, Oct. 4, to discuss the engineering issues related to urban planning in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Five civil and environmental engineering professors and undergraduate Josh Sommer, a Trinity Scholar and director of the Mold Advocacy Prevention Education & Research coalition, hosted the panel.
Speakers included professors Ana Barros and Miguel Medina, associate professors Henri Gavin and Karl Linden, Huntsinger and Sommer. The panel was introduced by Dean Kristina Johnson and moderated by civil and environmental engineering chair Roni Avissar. The panel recommended changes to urban planning risk assessment, specifically to take into account climate changes, pre- and post-disaster recovery needs and environmental health as well as immediate human needs.