VICKSBURG, Miss. - U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) Research Physical Scientist Dr. Igor Linkov received the 2014 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Outstanding Practitioner Award, presented by SRA President Professor Ortwin Renn during the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 10 in Denver, Colorado.
This award is presented to one member each year for outstanding risk analysis (RA) practices. Linkov serves as leader of ERDC’s Risk and Decision Science (RaDS) team.
The SRA is a multidisciplinary, scholarly, international society that provides an open forum for scientists and practitioners from around the world who are interested in risk analysis.
The SRA website broadly defines risk analysis to include risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication, risk management, and policy relating to risk, in the context of risks of concern to individuals, to public- and private-sector organizations, and to society at a local, regional, national, or global level.
“Risk is a prominent feature of what USACE does, and ERDC is on the forefront of the practice,” Linkov said.
Commenting on his award, Linkov said, “Being recognized as an outstanding professional in the field is the greatest honor a risk assessor can achieve. SRA has been my main professional society since my graduation in 1995. I have been practicing risk assessment during my time in consulting and in government. It is also recognition of ERDC’s leadership in this field. Dr. Todd Bridges received the same award in 2012.”
EL’s Research General Engineer Zach Collier, a member of ERDC’s RaDS team said, “Igor has made significant advancements in the theory and application of risk analysis by developing quantitative and semi-quantitative approaches to merge technical risk data with decision-maker values and probabilistic estimations. His novel decision analytic tools have helped practitioners bridge risk assessment with risk management across a wide spectrum of application areas, including dredged material management, nanotechnology development, and sustainable energy generation.”
Linkov shared that “I believe that outstanding practice in risk analysis involves the best use of tools of the trade and innovations in the field. In consulting, I primarily applied the best RA methods and tools to solve specific problems. Through ERDC, I am lucky to be able to extend the field and innovate. For example, we are integrating risk and resilience in both civil works and military programs. We integrate risk and decision analysis to address challenges on nanomaterials and emerging technologies.”
Linkov is also working with Renn on organizing the next World Congress on Risk in Singapore, held every four years as one of SRA’s most important events.