Members and Contributors – Meteor Project

Colm Jordan

British Geological Survey (BGS), Principal Investigator

Meteor expertise
Dr Colm Jordan is the METEOR Principal Investigator – leading overall project strategy and development; chairing the Advisory Board and representing the project externally.

Technical background
Colm is Head of Geodesy and Earth Observation, Lead of ODA Global Geological Risk and Lead of Multi-hazard Research at BGS. He has nearly 30 years of experience developing and applying Earth Observation systems for a range of applications including natural and anthropogenic hazards. Colm is a trained Project Manager for the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters, leading UK responses to events globally.

Paul Amyx

ImageCat, Inc. Senior Programmer

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Paul is involved in the development of exposure data formats.

Technical background
Paul specializes in the development and use of advanced technologies for risk assessment and reduction, and has over 15 years of experience in the area. His primary focus at ImageCat has been the development of software systems that incorporate GIS visualization and analysis.

Georgiana Esquivias

ImageCat, Inc. GIS Project Analyst

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Georgiana is the GIS and Remote Sensing Analyst.

Technical background
At ImageCat, Georgiana is responsible for the management, collection and analysis of GIS and Earth Observation satellite products databases. Ms. Esquivias has experience in critical infrastructure and general building stock exposure development, sea level rise and wildfire risk assessment, natural hazard damage assessment for flood, tornado, earthquake, and tsunami, and satellite imagery pre-/post-natural hazard event image processing techniques and analysis.

William Evans

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, Director of Programs

METEOR expertise
William manages the team in Tanzania, guiding the overall strategy, field operations, trainings, data quality assurance and developing relationships with stakeholders. He has taken over as HOT Project Lead for Mhairi O’Hara starting in 2020.

Technical background
William has seven years experience in humanitarian and development work in the Middle East and Africa with an expertise in migration and disaster risk reduction. He has a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Southern California.

Shubharoop Ghosh

ImageCat, Inc. Vice President of Data Services

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Shubharoop is Work Package 8 Lead on Sustainability Planning and Capacity Building.

Technical background
Shubharoop has over 18 years experience in global projects on earth observation-based exposure data development, developing and implementing multi hazard risk management systems for government, non-profit and insurance clients.

Paul Henshaw

GEM Foundation, Director of Technology & Development

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Paul oversees the knowledge-sharing component, which includes the dissemination of project outputs and training materials.

Technical background
Paul has over twenty five years of software engineering and team leadership experience in international research and development organizations. He oversees the GEM development team, licensing, and testing.

Zhenghui Hu

ImageCat, Inc. Senior Programmer

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Z is focused on exposure development.

Technical background
Z has extensive experience in data modeling using machine learning techniques. He also has expertise in utilization of cloud technologies for performance improvement of complex models, and in developing algorithms of software performing simulation and risk analysis.

Charles Huyck

Co-founder and Executive Vice President

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Charles is the Work Package 3 Lead.

Technical background
Charles is instrumental in developing operational strategies for spatial technologies at ImageCat. He directs a team of engineers, scientists and programmers developing software tools and data processing algorithms for loss estimation and risk assessment. He has 25 years of GIS analysis and application development experience integrating advanced geospatial technologies into disaster simulation tools and CAT modeling programs.

Ganesh Kumar Jimee

NSET, Director

Meteor expertise
Working at NSET since last 20 years. Holds M. Sc. in Earth Resources and Environmental Geo-sciences with specialization in Natural Hazard Studies from ITC, University of Twente, The Netherlands and M.A. in Geography from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Has involved for developing risk assessment methodologies for Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and conducted earthquake risk assessment for major cities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

Technical background
Research interest on spatio-temporal analysis of multi-hazards and exposures and comprehensive DRM in developing countries buying-in relevant best practices from around the globe.

Emanuel Kombe

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap, Team Mapping Supervisor

Meteor expertise
Emanuel is working with HOT Tanzania, as Technical Mapping Supervisor and Data Quality Assurance Person participating in many of the projects operated in Tanzania and out of the country assigned tasks.

Technical background
Emanuel’s has five years experience on working with Humanitarian activities particularly in open data,GIS and Geospatial open software, He has a practical application experience on GIS and community engagement as well as engaging in many geospatial projects undertaken in Tanzania by HOT since 2015. He has a Bachelor Degree of Arts in Geography and Environment Studies from University of Dar es Salaam.

Catherine Marimbo

DMD, National Disaster Management Coordinator

Meteor expertise
National Disaster Management Coordinator responsible for coordinating disaster at the National level. Working with Prime Ministers Office at Disaster Management Department

Technical background
I have five years experience in Disaster Management as the Disaster Management Coordinator; to coordinate disaster in different emergencies and mobilize resources from different stakeholders for humanitarian assistance . Furthermore, to issue early warning information to the stakeholder and public as well as conducting Disaster needs Assessment in the country then Conducting training in the community to help them to understand the existing risk.

Nicole Paul

GEM Foundation, Earthquake Risk Modeller

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Nicole is focused on vulnerability modeling for multiple hazards, and the effect of uncertainty propagation through those models.

Technical background
Nicole’s background is in structural engineering, with over 5 years experience working on seismic hazard and risk assessment projects.

Luca Petrarulo

Oxford Policy Management, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager

Meteor expertise
Luca is the METEOR M&E Manager and coordinates the WP2 – Monitoring & Evaluation. He is centrally involved in all M&E activities of the project, including developing the project’s Theory of Change and logical framework, conducting the project baseline, midline and endline evaluations, and facilitating the ongoing assimilation of the learnings.

Technical background
Luca has over 10 years of experience in international development projects, focusing on climate change, disaster risk, sustainable energy and M&E. He holds an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and an MA in Conflict Resolution from Lancaster University.

Suman Pradhan

NSET, Program Manager

Meteor expertise
Mr. Suman Pradhan is a Structural Engineer and has more than 10 years professional experience in Disaster Risk Management and Earthquake Engineering in Nepal and abroad. He is working on USAID/OFDA supported program “Technical Assistance for Building Code Implementation in Nepal (TSBCIN)” in 2013.

Technical background
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Kantipur Engineering College, Tribhuvan University, Nepal and Master’s Degree in Evaluation Control and Reduction of Environmental Seismic Risk (MECRES) from Sapienza University, Rome, Italy under the EUNICE- ERASMUS MUNDUS program.

Anirudh Rao

GEM Foundation, Earthquake Risk Modeller

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Anirudh is focused on vulnerability modeling and earthquakes, and integrating knowledge from past collaborations with NSET.

Technical background
Anirudh has worked with GEM for over 5 years, working towards more robust earthquake risk assessment and risk-informed decision making. As a part of that experience, he has co-developed national risk models for South Asian countries.

Armando Scarpati

GEM Foundation, Web Developer

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Armando is responsible for the development and maintenance of the METEOR project website.

Technical background
Armando has been designing and building websites since 2010.

Surya Narayan Shrestha

NSET, Executive Director and Senior Structural Engineer

Meteor expertise
Surya Narayan Shrestha is the Executive Director of NSET and leads several projects and programs being implemented by NSET; one of the key program, which Surya leads, is the Technical Support for Building Code Implementation in Nepal (TSBCIN) which works in 30 municipalities of Nepal.

Technical background
Currently, He is pursuing his Ph.D. on Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment of Nepal at Tribhuwan University, Institute of Engineering, and Kathmandu, Nepal with research at the University of Basilicata in Italy and holds a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering.

Vitor Silva

GEM Foundation, Risk Coordinator

Meteor expertise
On the METEOR project, Vitor manages the vulnerability component. He oversees and provides technical input to the derivation and assessment of vulnerability models for multiple hazards.

Technical background
Vitor Silva has participated in studies of structural vulnerability and risk for dozens of countries, and has documented his research in over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Kay Smith

British Geological Survey (BGS), Project Manager

Meteor expertise
Dr Kay B Smith is the METEOR Project Manager and is a Remote Sensing Geologist within the ‘Geodesy and Earth Observation’ Capability in the ‘Multihazards and Resilience’ Challenge area at the British Geological Survey

Technical background
Kay has over 20 years of practical application of Earth Observation (satellite, airborne and drone) data acquisition, calibration, analysis, visualisation and interpretation to a range of geoscience research areas.

Paul Uithol

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, Director of Programs

Meteor expertise
Paul is HOT’s Director of Programs, and manages field operations and country teams, managing programs with key partners.

Technical background
Paul holds a Master’s degree in Telematics, and has over a decade of experience in (open) data, GIS, and participatory mapping, and has excellent technical ability combined with organizational and management skills.

Sharad Wagle

NSET, Structural Engineer

Meteor expertise
Mr. Sharad Wagle has been working at NSET since 2013 and holds Masters in Structural Engineering with specialization in Structural Dynamics, Earthquake Engineering and Seismic Retrofit from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He provides technical support in implementing the National Building code in different municipalities of Nepal and assists the local authority in DRM/DRR activities.

Technical background
Mr. Wagle’s research interest is on the Seismic design of structure and retrofit technology effective for developing countries and he is also involved in exposure model development and risk analysis for DRR.