Abstract

This article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the Press coverage of natural disasters in the world by Spanish newspapers during the years 2009 and 2010 and some prominent indicators of social interest in the Internet. The main goals of this exploratory research are to find out if the classic news values shape altogether the agenda of the mainstream newspapers and the citizens and if the cahier de doléances in this specialized field are also in effect in the Internet age.

Abstract

The article analyzes and describes the thematic contents of incident reports in the press. Incident reports belong to the area of specialized journalism, because of the topic it deals and broadcasts. Most of its contents are related to bad news. The two major thematic categories of incident reports are crimes and accidents. The types of incidents that are mainly featured in the press are homicides, traffic accidents, drug dealing and burglary.

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

The damage caused to Puerto Rico's infrastructure by Hurricane María in 2017 and the seismic sequence in 2020 provided evidence that, after a natural disaster, the collaboration of different disciplines is necessary to rebuild the damaged infrastructure using new paradigms. To develop a new generation of engineering and architecture professionals who work in an integrated way to face the challenges caused by natural events, the Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainability Education - Undergraduate Program (RISE-UP) was created. The program is structured using a collaborative platform between three campuses of the University of Puerto Rico system and is based on an interdisciplinary approach using Project-Based Learning (PBL). RISE-UP consists of four courses that are part of a minor degree that is complemented by internship and undergraduate research opportunities. The courses are taken sequentially in a process that starts with the presentation of basic content and techniques, to the application of that knowledge in an integrated design project. To date, a total of 64 students have entered the program, divided into two cohorts according to their admission into the program. Students in both cohorts reflect the diversity that the project seeks in terms of specialty area, campus, and gender. The results of the student evaluations indicate that 100% of the students find the PBL methodology "valuable" or "very valuable" to understand the importance of a sustainable and resilient infrastructure, putting into practice the concepts learned. This program serves as an example of the benefits of information technology integrations to allow students from different campuses to work together toward a
common goal.