“One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a professor here at UB were the two trips I took to Nepal after the earthquake that occurred in April, 2015 that destroyed over half their structures and buildings and killed many people. We put together a team a month after the earthquake and visited the country. We went around and were really able to help the locals identify which structures were safe, which structures were not safe, help them identify what caused damage in the structures that were damaged, and what they can do to rebuild the structures that can be rebuilt. Being there and helping after such a big natural disaster was a very rewarding experience. 

On a follow-up visit this year, we were asked to go back and present a workshop about ways they can retrofit structures and assess how structures will behave. Engineers from Nepal attended and students from the U.S. came with us and attended as well. I think they got motivated and they got to see what is important about what we’re doing here at UB."