Jack Baker

Jack Baker is a Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability. His research focuses on quantifying and managing disaster risk and resilience using probabilistic and statistical tools. He has contributed to risk analysis of spatially distributed systems, earthquake ground motion characterization, and post-disaster recovery modeling. He is the author of the textbook Seismic Hazard and Risk Analysis, directs the Stanford Urban Resilience Initiative, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake Spectra.

Education: B.A. in Mathematics/Physics from Whitman College (2000), M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering (2002), M.S. in Statistics (2004), and Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering (2005) from Stanford University.

Research interests include disaster risk analysis, infrastructure resilience, probabilistic modeling, and the integration of machine learning in hazard assessment. His work bridges engineering principles with societal impacts, emphasizing practical applications in policy and disaster preparedness.

Publications highlight advancements in seismic fragility modeling, atmospheric river flood risk, and post-disaster recovery simulations. His articles underscore interdisciplinary approaches, combining statistical methods with geospatial data to address complex challenges like urban resilience and climate adaptation.

Award-winning scholar recognized for contributions to earthquake engineering, risk analysis, and teaching excellence. Leads initiatives such as the Stanford Catastrophe Modeling & Resilience Program, fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to enhance community resilience.