Erica Fischer

Erica Fischer’s research interests revolve around innovative approaches to improve the resilience and robustness of structural systems affected by natural and man-made hazards. This includes performance-based design approaches of structural systems to decrease the environmental impact of the built environment on the natural environment. Fischer’s focus is on steel and composite systems and connections. These research interests are implemented through both large-scale experimental testing and numerical modeling approaches. Fischer is on the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) board of directors and a founding co-chair of the EERI younger members committee and the virtual earthquake reconnaissance team. She has been a member of a number of post-earthquake reconnaissance team missions, including Haiti (2010), Napa (2014), Italy (2016), and Mexico City (2017). Fischer has led a post-wildfire reconnaissance team to Paradise, California (2019).