Gavin Smith is the executive director of the Center of Excellence for the Study of Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management at UNC Chapel Hill. The center is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and is part of the Center for the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters at UNC Chapel Hill. RENCI is a key partner in the Center of Excellence and collaborates with Smith and lead scientist Rick Luettich (also RENCI’s chief scientist for coastal modeling) on modeling, visualization and outreach. The center focuses on research pertaining to hazard modeling, engineering and infrastructure protection, human behavior, and land use planning. Smith is an associate research professor in the department of city and regional planning at UNC Chapel Hill and is currently writing the text, “A Review of the United States Disaster Assistance Framework: Planning for Recovery.” He is the former director of the Office of Recovery and Renewal in Mississippi and was instrumental in Mississippi’s Hurricane Katrina Recovery program.

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