Having grown up in Puerto Rico, I’m more familiar with hurricane season than I’d like to be. Every year, we would brace ourselves for what might be. The entire island would go on alert, and emergency plans would be put into effect at the first sign of an approaching storm.

In a so-called post-truth era, we are actually collecting more data on a wider variety of factors than ever before. These data sources can — and should — help us to make better decisions on a range of comprehensive issues.

Summer is coming.

Something really important is happening at the University of Texas at Austin this month.

June 17th is the United Nations’ designated “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.” It’s meant to raise awareness of the fragile nature of semi-arid lands — those receiving less than 20 inches of rainfall per year — and of how decisions we make can alter the health and resiliency of…

We are a group of faculty and researchers from The University of Texas at Austin working with communities across the state to ensure this is a healthy, secure, just, and ecologically and economically vibrant place to live in the year 2050. This is UT Austin’s first grand challenge — an enormous,…