Boise State University College of Engineering’s Mojtaba Sadegh, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, received the prestigious 2023 Natural Hazards Early Career Award from the American Geophysical Union.
This accolade recognizes Sadegh’s contributions to characterizing the causes and consequences of emerging climate-related risks.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” Sadegh said. “Importantly, I am grateful to my current and former brilliant students and excellent collaborators in academia and the government.”
The American Geophysical Union, a globally recognized authority in Earth and space sciences, bestows the Natural Hazards Early Career Award annually to a promising scientist or engineer who has exhibited remarkable leadership and innovation in the study of natural hazards, such as wildfire, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other geophysical extremes.
“I am proud of Dr. Sadegh’s impactful achievements in climate change research and his outstanding student mentorship,” College of Engineering Dean JoAnn S. Lighty said. “His dedication to advancing our knowledge of environmental risks and their impact to our communities, and his commitment to student success exemplify the core values of our college. This recognition is well-deserved and a testament to all his outstanding contributions.”
Sadegh’s work is focused on characterizing large scale changes in wildfire characteristics in response to climate change and human influences, assessing the drivers of wildfires on human and environmental systems, and providing solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of wildfires.
“I am immensely proud of Dr. Sadegh’s groundbreaking contributions and his award is a testament to the innovative and impactful research taking place within our department,” said Civil Engineering Department Chair Bhaskar Chittoori. “As his colleagues, we are excited to see his research shaping important global dialogues and contributing to a more resilient future. This accolade is indeed well-deserved, and we look forward to his continued leadership in our field.”
This summer, Sadegh has published numerous articles in The Conversation highlighting risks of wildfires to communities, the increase in the number of humans directly exposed to wildfires and the social vulnerability of people exposed to wildfires.
Honorees will be recognized at AGU23, which will convene more than 25,000 attendees from over 100 countries both virtually and in San Francisco, California, in December 2023.
-by Jamie Fink