SHERMAN, TEXAS—Austin College professor Kevin Simmons, internationally recognized for his work on the economics of natural hazards, will discuss “Taming the Neighborhood Wolf: Natural Hazard Applications of the Three Little Pigs” on Tuesday, October 14, at 11 a.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. The presentation, a Johnson Center Faculty Research and Pedagogy Talk, is free and open to the public. A carry-your-tray luncheon at noon in Room 245 will allow continued discussion of the topic.
Simmons, who holds the endowed Clara R. and Leo F. Corrigan Chair of Economics at Austin College, explained that “The Three Little Pigs” is a classic story that both entertains and provides a valuable lesson: patience with a view to the long run pays dividends—in this case, surviving a visit from the big bad wolf. “The modern-day application concerns how we as a society prepare for our own encounters with big bad wolves,” Simmons said. “But these wolves are not metaphorical, rather they are real threats in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.”
“The tendency to build a straw house finds its form in the ethos to build it fast and build it cheap,” Simmons said. “And if a home does cost more, customers seem to care about granite countertops more than they do construction practices that make the home safer. To ensure homes are built to provide safety for the occupants we rely on building codes to ensure that proper materials and standards are used. These codes are adopted by local communities who find that a tradeoff exists if neighboring communities adopt less stringent codes in order to attract more development. Do we want well built homes that can withstand expected perils or do we want to incentivize development by making it cheaper to build here instead of elsewhere?”
Simmons plans to present recent research to address several questions. First, does enhanced construction reduce losses from the eventual storm? Second, does stringent enforcement of existing codes make a difference? And finally, do the community benefits from enhanced construction exceed the cost, thus making it easier to justify code adoption?
Simmons’ research has been highlighted in numerous national and international media outlets, and he has been interviewed by the New York Times, CBS Evening News, Fox Business, Bloomberg TV, Christian Science Monitor, and USA Today, among others. He has published more than 60 articles and co-authored 2 books with Dan Sutter, Economic and Societal Impacts of Tornadoes and Deadly Season: Analyzing the 2011 Tornado Outbreaks. Simmons served as a Fulbright Scholar to Norway in 2010 and again to Canada in 2014.
Austin College’s Robert and Joyce Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching, is directed by Bernice Melvin, Margaret Root Brown Chair of Foreign Languages and Literatures and professor of French. Within the mission of the center is the encouragement of ‘bold exploration of intellectual frontiers” and “fostering lively intellectual dialogue within and across academic disciplines.”
The Johnson Center schedules a number of events throughout the year, with presentations by Austin College faculty and guest lecturers.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.