Ongoing Research
Examining Community Needs for Reciprocal Parametric Insurance
Investigating how parametric insurance can provide much needed financial support in high risk U.S. regions.
Natural Hazards, Risk and Resilience through Human-Centered Data and Design
Margaret Miles
PhD at the University of Michigan
I research how emerging hazard modeling and insights can be designed to better support those most at risk: through novel insurance, design and thoughtful collaboration. My work sits at the intersection of hazard modeling, design science, and data visualization.
Research Labs:
·
AIDD Labs
·
EDGE Labs
Research Projects
See my work below or my CV for the most up to date information.
Ongoing Research
Information Needs during Flood Events in New Orleans
A qualitative research project focused on understand informational access gaps during flood emergency events.
Ongoing Research
Non-Recovery Prediction Models
Iterating on ground motio variables for a predictive model of non-recovery of home in Nepal from the 2015 earthquake.
Designs
Selected design work demonstrating skills in design theory and practice.
Parametric Reciprocal Insurance Design Owners
Designing intuitive interfaces for parametric insurance products.
Parametric Reciprocal Insurance Timeline
Visualizing the timeline and process flow of parametric insurance.
Research Philosophy
Visual representation of my research philosophy and approach.
Publications
Peer-reviewed contributions.
2025
Understanding Novel Solutions for Disaster Recovery in the U.S. Advancing Parametric Community Insurance Models [Presentation]
Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference
2025
Understanding challenges in community adoption of parametric insurance in high-risk regions. [Poster presentation]
Proceedings of the 2025 Natural Hazards Workshop.
Curriculum Vitae
A summary of my distinctly unique academic and professional background that prepares me for transdisciplinary research.
Education
2024 — Present
Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Hazards, Risk and Resilience)
University of Michigan
Advised by Dr. Sabine Loos, PhD Civil Engineering and Dr. Julia Kramer, PhD Mechanical Engineering
2015 — 2020
B.S.in Industrial and Systems Engineering
The Ohio State University
Computer Science Minor, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate
Experience
2024 - Present
Graduate Research Assistant
AIDD Labs and EDGE Labs
Projects focused on parametric insurance, flood information access, and post-earthquake damage modeling.
2025 - Present
Graduate Student Instructor
ENGR 100: Introduction to Engineering
Section 360: Infrastructure Resiliency and Natural Disasters
2021-2024
Executive Fellow and Special Projects Coordinator
Engineers Without Borders USA
Extensive experience in Saleforce design, strategic planning, and professional mentorship of engineering students.
2023 - 2024
English Language Teacher
North American Language and Culture Assistants Program
Alicante, Spain