The BIG Picture

Eun Jeong Cha

 (Pusan, South Korea)

BSArchE, Seoul National University
Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials

Ms. Eun Jeong Cha was named an inaugural recipient of the International Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association (CERRA) Student Recognition Award at the 11th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engineering (ICASP 11) held in Zurich, Switzerland in August 2011.

Her paper explores the nature of risk aversion embedded in decisions regarding the safety of civil infrastructure that is subjected to extreme natural hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or flooding, and to abnormal events, such as terrorist attack, using analytical and statistical approaches. Eun began by examining  the nature of risk aversion and how it is understood within the insurance industry. From this examination, she was able to draw inferences that are applicable to civil infrastructure decision-making for rare events.

Currently, Eun is pursuing her doctoral degree in structural engineering, mechanics and materials within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Georgia Tech. CEE Professor Bruce R. Ellingwood, the Raymond Allen Jones Chair and College of Engineering Distinguished Professor, serves as her advisor. Eun feels very fortunate to work with Dr. Ellingwood stating, "My favorite thing at Georgia Tech is my advisor, Dr. Ellingwood. He really advises me in research, classes, and sometimes even in daily life, if I ask for advice."

What's next for Eun? "Experience is what I am seeking in my life...My ultimate goal is simple: to continue to improve our understanding of structural reliability against hazards in order to build safer structures."

Eun was recognized for her paper entitled “Decision-making for civil infrastructure exposed to low-probability, high-consequence hazards: the role of risk aversion”. The international jury cited the novelty of her topic, its multidisciplinary approach at the interface between engineering science, technology and public policy, and its potential long-term importance in public decision-making.

Eun is from Pusan, the largest port city in South Korea, and says she has always dreamed of traveling beyond the horizon to see more things, meet more people, and learn from it all.