Richard Smith
PhD
Director
Natural Hazards and Resilience Platform
Richard is currently Director of the Natural Hazards and Resilience Platform – a multi-disciplinary, mission-driven research consortium with the purpose of enhancing New Zealand’s disaster resilience.
He has a hybrid background in research facilitation, disaster risk reduction policy and practice, and natural hazards research. Previous roles include leading the Resilience National Science Challenge, managing national research and hazard risk reduction programmes for the Earthquake Commission, and hazard risk management policy in the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM).
Richard has a PhD in Geological Sciences from the University of Canterbury, and prior to taking up a position with MCDEM was a Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato.