For three years, University of Florida engineering professor David O. Prevatt, Ph.D., has been chewing on a stubborn problem: Why are bridges and buildings still succumbing to natural hazards when we have the knowledge to build resilient, hazard-resistant structures?

“I am a wind engineer,” said Prevatt. “I study hurricanes and houses and how to make them stronger. I can tell people seven ways ‘til Sunday how to build a better house, but it takes decades to get implemented.”