The strengths of the Cockrell School are in disaster planning and recovery, geophysical exploration and space exploration.
The disaster planning and recovery theme addresses comprehensive approaches to dealing with both natural and anthropogenic disasters by new sensing and monitoring technology, innovations in geospatial data and modeling, short-term and long-term predictions and their uncertainties, and pre-disaster and post-disaster recovery. Recovery from hurricanes, floods or wild fires will be greatly enhanced by low-cost configurable satellites that would be rapidly launched in an emergency.
The energy security of the United States depends significantly on geophysical imaging and sensing. This research develops the next generation of geophysical imaging and sensing methods that are essential to detect and develop new aquifers, hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs, coal seams, ore deposits and assess the properties of near-surface deposits for infrastructure development.
Space exploration addresses the human desire to know what is out there. The research encompasses space transportation, space services, human adaptation and interplanetary exploration, and is designed to position UT to compete for space and planetary missions as they are driven by federal priorities. Technologies developed for space exploration have historically provided crossover benefits to terrestrial users; in many cases, the ensuring societal benefits have outgrown the original motivation for the technology further enhancing the impact of the research.
Research Presentation
Our goal is to enable informed decision-making by designing and integrating observational systems with predictive models. Faculty lead: Glenn Lightsey
