GW Engineering faculty are regularly sought out by the media to provide research-based insights about national issues and global challenges. The recent earthquake in Taiwan had many practitioners asking questions about the impact of the earthquake and how Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness saved countless lives. Below is a summary of the expertise provided by Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, Joseph Barbera, on this topic.
In the article “Rescue effort in massive Taiwan earthquake may take a ‘Herculean effort’: Updates,” USA Today interviewed associate professor Barbera about Taiwan’s emergency preparedness as part of their detailed coverage of where the earthquake occurred, the size of its impact, and the rescue and recovery efforts underway.
Here is an excerpt from the article: “Taiwan has developed significant search-and-rescue capabilities, but it's a difficult undertaking to identify and recover victims who may be buried deep under concrete while dodging the perils of aftershocks, said Joseph Barbera, an emergency physician and professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the George Washington University. Barbera was part of a response team deployed by the United States Agency for International Development to the 1999 Jiji earthquake that killed over 2,400 people in Taiwan.”
Read the full article on USA Today.
In the article “Huge Taiwan quake cause few deaths thanks to preparedness – and luck,” the Washington Post interviewed associate professor Barbera about the various precautions Taiwan has taken to prepare against future earthquakes over the past 25 years.
Here is an excerpt from the article: “Taiwan has had remarkable discipline in their seismic building codes, and enforcement on those codes,” said Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University who was deployed by USAID to Taiwan after the 1999 quake.
Read the full article in The Washington Post.