Haiti is still feeling the effects of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit in January 2010. Chiara McKenney, a master's student in the Civil Engineering Department, is helping Haitian residents rebuild their housing with stronger construction materials. Her research specifically explores how to optimize the use of local materials to improve the strength of concrete made in Haiti, since low-quality concrete was a major cause of building damage and collapse during the earthquake.

McKenney chose to study at UC Davis because of the Civil Engineering Department’s strong reputation in earthquake engineering research. “They were also very supportive of me pursuing my degree in civil engineering, despite having a liberal arts undergraduate degree,” said McKenney. “The funding opportunities available were also a major draw.” McKenney has served as a Teaching Assistant for engineering classes which has helped her with tuition costs as well as given her a stipend.

During her time in Haiti, McKenney worked as a structural engineer intern with Build Change, a non-profit enterprise that promotes earthquake-resistant construction. McKenney was based in the middle of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city that was hit hardest by the 2010 earthquake, with the epicenter just a mere 16 miles away.

“I became a structural engineer so that I would have the skills and mindset to work on making our world more disaster-resilient,” said McKenney. She became inspired to pursue disaster risk mitigation after seeing the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and travelling through earthquake-prone Central Asia.

McKenney’s experience at UC Davis has instilled in her an appreciation for the interactions one encounters when in the field of study. She says it has helped her to get to know students from a wide variety of disciplines and learn things she may never otherwise have come across.

McKenney hopes to continue making a difference in the years ahead by improving housing, buildings and the overall environment to become more earthquake-resistant; possibly by working at a structural engineering firm or being involved in public policy and community outreach.

“During my life, I want to make some improvement to construction practices globally, and I hope that my research here at UC Davis is just one step on that road.”

Photo Credit: Daret Kehlet.