Professor Stephanie E. Chang joined UBC in January 2004 and has a joint appointment in the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) and the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES). She held a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Disaster Management and Urban Sustainability from 2004 to 2013. Much of Dr. Chang’s work aims to bridge the gap between engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences in addressing the complex issues of natural disasters. Her research has ranged from empirical investigation of major urban disasters to computer modeling and analysis of risk reduction strategies. (For publications and current research projects, please see her website.

Dr. Chang is particularly interested in issues of disaster recovery and resilience, urban infrastructure systems, and cities of the Pacific Rim. Prior to joining UBC, she was a research assistant professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Washington. She has also worked as a researcher/consultant with EQE International in Los Angeles and Seattle. Dr. Chang was awarded the 2001 Shah Family Innovation Prize by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) and was EERI’s 2011 Distinguished Lecturer. She has served on the editorial board of Earthquake Spectra and on the U.S. National Research Council's committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences.