Michelle Bensi

Michelle (Shelby) Bensi is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD). She is affiliated with the UMD Center for Disaster Resilience and Center for Risk and Reliability. Bensi’s research centers on the application of probabilistic risk assessment concepts and tools, as well as statistical/machine learning techniques to problems involving engineered systems exposed to natural hazards. Bensi focuses primarily on topics related to the probabilistic assessment of natural hazards and risk-informed applications. She is actively engaged in projects related to the probabilistic assessment of coastal, inland flooding, and precipitation hazards; local-scale seismic ground motion variability; flood risk communication; and impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Prior to joining the UMD faculty, Bensi served as an engineer at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and she continues to be involved in research and professional activities focusing on nuclear facilities.