Jose Torero Joins Faculty at the University of Maryland

Jose Torero, Ph.D., an internationally renowned expert in the fields of fire safety and resilience, has returned to the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD) to serve as the John L. Bryan Chair in Fire Protection Engineering and the director of the Center for Disaster Resilience within the school’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Torero comes to the Clark School from the University of Queensland in Australia, where he chaired the School of Civil Engineering. Prior to that, he held the BRE Trust/Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh and worked as an associate professor at UMD’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

His extensive background and expertise makes him uniquely qualified to coordinate ongoing research activities in resilience, incorporate fire-related expertise, and establish and lead an integrated resiliency center at the Clark School.

“No community is immune to disasters and the related social and economic costs,” said Charles Schwartz, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “Welcoming Jose Torero to our faculty is instrumental to further advancing our leadership in helping communities plan for, absorb, and recover from these adverse events.”

As the director for the Center for Disaster Resilience, Torero will help elevate the research staff’s existing efforts and develop new collaborations with faculty in the Clark School and across the university to develop a world-class research program.

Torero also brings a unique interest in engineering education, having developed cross-disciplinary degrees that integrate fire protection into other engineering disciplines. His long-term focus on education-driven research will add a new dimension to the Clark School.

“Our departments are enthusiastic about the addition of such a prominent, internationally-renowned individual,” said James Milke, Chair of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering. “Jose Torero will not only elevate our research activity, but our students will learn a great deal from such an accomplished individual. As the Bryan Chair, he will have an opportunity to enhance and expand our reputation as a recognized leader in the fire safety field.”

Torero is the only person in the fire safety field holding fellowships in the Royal Society of Edinburgh (UK), the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (Australia), the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (Australia), the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (USA), the Building Research Establishment (UK), the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK).

Published January 9, 2017