People
OUR TEAM
Thomas Azwell Ph.D
Director
Dr. Azwell is the founder and director of the Disaster Lab. He brings a wealth of experience in environmental science, corporate sustainability, technology innovation, applied research, and entrepreneurship. His broad range of experience across sectors inform the design and execution of each project.
Joshua Dimon Ph.D
Chief Scientist
Joshua leads research and experiment planning for the Disaster Lab. His global experience, in working wtih communities to document and address the crises caused by climate change and unfettered energy and infrastructure developents, inform our equity-centered, sustainable approach to projects and partnerships.
COLLABORATORS
Eyitayo Opabola Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley
Eyitayo Opabola works to solve engineering problems in his research nationally and internationally using structural engineering, reliability theory, statistics, and hazard science. His additional areas of expertise include multihazard risk analysis, resilience qualification, and large-scale field and laboratory tesing.
Cruz Carlos PH.D
PROFESSOR IN THE CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AT UC BERKELEY
Cruz Carlos is a Research & Development Engineer with expertise in concrete durability, construction materials, and nondestructive testing methods. He has contributed to research on assessing concrete damage from freezing temperatures and evaluating the corrosion resistance of steel dowels in concrete pavements.
Prabal Dutta Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley
Prabal Dutta is part of the EECS department at UC Berkeley and his areas of research include computer architecture and engineering, energy, and operating systems and networking. He works with the Disaster Lab on the development of novel sensors for early fire detection and rapid response.
Alasdair Cohen Ph.D
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AT VIRGINIA TECH
Alasdair advises on global health projects and serves as Research Director for the Berkeley/China/Virginia Tech Program for Water & Health., a collaborative partnership that works on projects related water, health, and the environment.
Dr. Niokhor Dione, DVM, MSc, PhD,
Visiting Scholar
Niokhor is a microbiologist with deep expertise in microbiome research, microbial discovery, and infectious diseases. He leads work at the intersection of microbiology, public health, and environmental health, developing units that address biological threats in disasters—from climate change to pandemics. His work supports the Disaster Lab’s mission to advance resilience and sustainable health in vulnerable communities.
FELLOWS
JOCELYN KUNG
Founder and CEO, The Kung Group
As the founder and CEO of The Kung Group, Jocelyn works with executives from leading Silicon Valley tech companies to grow and improve the function of businesses. She has consulted with companies large and small, including Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, and Cisco, and additionally serves groups such as venture capital firms, non-profits, and academic institutions.
KATHLEEN CUTTER
Senior Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
Kathleen Cutter is a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority. She leads California’s largest Defensible Space Inspection program, completing over 50,000 home inspections annually to reduce wildfire risk. She has a background in archaeology and wildland firefighting. Kathleen works with the Disaster Lab to analyze and develop novel wildfire risk and mitigation models.
RESEARCHERS
Yiming Jia Ph.D
Yiming Jia is a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley whose research interests include multihazard resilience, climate change, machine learning, and deep learning.
LILA COHEN
Lila studies Conservation and Resource Studies at UC Berkeley and works as a Research Assistant at the Disaster Lab. She supports data collection and analysis on wildfire resilience, contributing to research on fire prevention strategies. Her work bridges field-based testing with community-centered approaches to disaster preparedness and ecological restoration.
Olivia Murray
Olivia is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Sciences and Global Studies.
GARIMA UPADHYAY
Garima studies Data Science at UC Berkeley. She is working as a Researcher at the Disaster Lab, focusing on analyzing thermal imaging and emissions data from large-scale burn tests to evaluate the effectiveness of fire-resistant materials. Her work supports innovative fire safety strategies by assessing human exposure to hazardous fumes and understanding how coatings impact fire dynamics.
FIRE Foundry Advanced Interns
SARAH LAFAZIA
JOCELYN ALCOCER
MEILY jIMENEZ
BERLYNN VARGAS
AFFILIATES
ALICE AGOGINO PH.D
PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT UC Berkeley
In addition to her position as Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley, Alice is the founder of Squishy Robotics, a sensor robot that can be air-deployed into hazardous areas to provide real-time data to emergency responders.
jeffrey kane PH.D
PROFESSOR OF FIRE ECOLOGY AND FUELS MANAGEMENT AT CAL POLY HUMBOLDT
Jeffrey Kane leads research at the Humboldt Wildland Fire Lab and Fire Resilience Institute, focusing on fire’s role in forest ecosystems, fuel dynamics, and climate change impacts. His work emphasizes student involvement and applied, field-based science to inform forest restoration and resilience