Hussam Mahmoud, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate, has been named a National Geographic Explorer for an innovative study aimed at providing a more holistic framework for wildfire preparedness.
National Geographic Explorers are groundbreaking scientists, conservationists, educators, and storytellers who receive funding and support from the National Geographic Society to illuminate and protect the planet through research, exploration, and storytelling.
Mahmoud’s proposed project will integrate data from vegetation and built environments to simulate fire spread and estimate building damage under varying ignition and wind scenarios. A central innovation of this study is its incorporation of agricultural lands into wildfire mitigation analysis. By examining the frequent irrigation of farmland and the strategic use of riparian zones (transitional areas between land and water bodies) and wetlands as nature-based solutions, the project explores how agricultural landscapes can act as firebreaks.
The study also tests combinations of structural hardening, vegetation management, and land-use practices to determine optimal mitigation strategies. The intent is not only to assess citywide risk but also to demonstrate how built, natural, and agricultural systems can be integrated to support community resilience.
As for the title of National Geographic Explorer, Mahmoud said it represents more than recognition.
“To be part of a global community dedicated to exploring, understanding, and protecting our world is both humbling and inspiring,” said Mahmoud, who is Craig E. Philip Endowed Chair of Engineering and professor of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to work that helps shine light on important stories and drives positive change for our planet and all of its inhabitants.”
Hussam was also recently elected to the nominations and leadership development committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific societies with members in more than 90 countries around the globe.