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Veronica Cedillos is an engineer and the President & CEO of GeoHazards International (www.geohaz.org) based out of Pleasanton, California. Veronica earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at MIT and her Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Stanford. Her career spans roles in practice as a building engineer, and non-profit work at Engineers for a Sustainable World, GeoHazards International, and the Applied Technology Council. She was the 2025 Shah Distinguished Lecture recipient, a 2017 Housner Fellow, the 2011 Shah Family Innovation Prize recipient, and a 2010 ASCE New Faces of Engineering awardee. She can be reached at cedillos@geohaz.org.
STRUCTURE: Can you please explain the term Geohazard, what hazards it encompasses, and how it relates to your work?
Veronica Cedillos: Geohazards pertain to natural geological processes or events that can result in disasters and include earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis.
I work on disaster risk, which is the intersection of natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes), exposure to such hazards (e.g., built infrastructure and people living in harm’s way), and vulnerability (e.g., buildings that are not designed to withstand earthquakes). I have dedicated most of my career to working in places with a high disaster risk, meaning they have a high likelihood of hazard events, high exposure, and high vulnerability. These are the places that are most likely to suffer severe damage and losses from future disasters.
STRUCTURE: As a leader in the non-profit sector, can you tell us a little more about GeoHazards International and your current projects?
Cedillos: GeoHazards International (GHI) is a small, global non-profit with the mission of saving lives by empowering at-risk communities worldwide to build resilience ahead of disasters and climate impacts. We work before disasters to help protect people and communities from harm. This is important as the vast majority of funding for disasters (about 96%) comes post-event, after irrecoverable harm and loss has already occurred. We focus our efforts in areas that have a high fatality risk from disasters, may not be aware of their risk, and have limited technical and financial resources to reduce their risk.
Our approach emphasizes equipping local leaders, professionals, as well as the broader community with knowledge and skills to take efforts into the future. This is fundamental, as building disaster resilience requires long-term efforts, not just a one-off project.
Current initiatives include: (1) technical assistance for national leaders in Bhutan on planning for earthquake resilience in their capital city of Thimphu where there are many vulnerable buildings; (2) a recently-launched project focused on improving the disaster resilience of health infrastructure in Haiti in order to support continuous delivery of medical care during and after emergencies and hazard events; (3) a program in the Philippines that integrates nature-based solutions, particularly mangroves, as a way to reduce risk from tsunamis and other coastal hazards; and (4) a multi-faceted program in Nepal focused on protecting the lives of schoolchildren in vulnerable, collapse-prone school buildings. This multi-faceted program includes training local builders and/or engineers on seismic vulnerability assessments and earthquake-resistant techniques for new construction and retrofit, as well as training local manufacturers to produce Earthquake Desks, which are specifically designed to protect schoolchildren from falling debris during earthquake shaking. Earthquake Desks provide a valuable, interim solution until schools are made safer, which will take decades given the vast number of vulnerable school buildings in Nepal.
STRUCTURE: What or who encouraged you to seek a career in structural engineering?
Cedillos: I think structural engineering is an amazing field. We design and build bridges, buildings, and critical infrastructure that provide essential services and value to people and communities. Its roots in service to humanity attracted me to this field. My father is a civil engineer, and I was always intrigued by his work. I was first exposed to earthquake engineering and earthquake-resistant design during my master’s degree, which fascinated me as I realized this technical knowledge could save people’s lives.
STRUCTURE: You worked in practice before moving to non-profits. What did you learn there or who did you meet then that proved useful later? How can engineering practice and non-profits better engage?
Cedillos: I worked as an Engineer at Gilsanz Murray Steficek (GMS) in New York City prior to my master’s degree and my work with non-profits. I found that experience incredibly valuable as it grounded my knowledge in practice. It was wonderful to reconnect, years later, with my former boss at GMS, Ramon Gilsanz. He was engaged as a board member at the non-profit, the Applied Technology Council (ATC), where I also worked. Ramon now also sits on our (GHI) Board of Trustees.
Several engineering firms have provided pro-bono support to GHI over the years, in addition to corporate sponsorship. I find our engineers value these opportunities to apply their skills to benefit at-risk communities because they inherently understand why this work is important. A challenge is ensuring that the pro-bono support includes financial backing for our team to coordinate and ensure that the technical support is impactful for the communities we are serving. This is not trivial and can require significant effort on our end. I hope we have more opportunities to engage with engineering firms in the future.
STRUCTURE: In practice, projects are typically funded by owners. How are projects funded at GeoHazards International? What are the greatest impacts to funding?
Cedillos: Our funding is typically from funding agencies, corporations, family foundations, and individual donations. Flexible funding—which typically comes from corporate sponsorships, family foundations, or individual donations—is my favorite. This is because we can have more control over how we design and implement projects. This flexibility allows us to adapt to changing contexts, and more effectively address evolving needs on the ground.
A major challenge of funding our work is that we work pre-disaster. The majority of worldwide funding for disasters is focused after events (e.g., disaster response, recovery, and reconstruction). Of course these are critical, but if we ever hope to see a different outcome from natural hazard events, we need to start investing more in resilience efforts in advance. Mitigation and preparedness efforts are the most effective way to save lives and protect communities, and are cost effective (studies show that every dollar invested in advance can save up to $15, or more in some cases, in post-disaster recovery). This is where we focus our efforts.
STRUCTURE: Much of GeoHazards International work is in developing countries. How is the approach different from engineering in the United States?
Cedillos: I actually think there are more similarities than differences and there’s a lot we can learn from each other. For example, the barriers to integrate disaster resilience in codes and building practices are similar, whether it’s lack of resources, interest, or other more pressing needs. The challenge is in bringing these issues to the forefront. Differential vulnerability and exposure to hazards is also something we see in the U.S. and abroad. Those with fewer resources tend to be most at risk. Many places, including in the U.S., have a large number of existing vulnerable buildings and infrastructure. Specific technical solutions may vary depending on construction types, typical vulnerabilities, and local resources, but effective approaches and strategies to managing disaster risks over time can be similar.
STRUCTURE: There isn’t enough funding to pursue all worthwhile initiatives. How do you select which projects you pursue?
Cedillos: We are a small organization with limited resources, so we seek initiatives that can have the most impact given our strengths and abilities. Our on-the-ground staff are native to the places where we work and are well connected to local decision makers and professionals. They are incredibly valuable in helping us identify high-impact initiatives that consider the local context, gaps, and leverage points. This can be different in varying contexts. For example, we have found that working with the national government in Bhutan is incredibly effective at leading to change in policy and planning. In other countries, we have found that working at the grassroots level is more impactful (e.g., hands-on training for local builders and community-based activities).
We also consider timing. Over the years, we have learned that disasters can encourage communities to take bold steps towards resilience. This increased interest can arise even if a disaster does not directly impact the community, as proximity, cultural relevance, or emotional connections can evoke a sense of urgency. We aim to lead initiatives in at-risk communities during these critical moments, as it can be an effective time for accelerated progress.
STRUCTURE: Of all the initiatives you have been involved in, what has been the most rewarding? Of what are you most proud?
Cedillos: I am very proud of our work in Indonesia on tsunami evacuation. This project focused on providing recommendations to a city of close to a million people that faces extreme risk from tsunamis. Our efforts provided several recommendations, many which were taken up and implemented by local leaders. This included constructing several tsunami vertical evacuation buildings, improving access to high ground, and focusing new development outside the tsunami evacuation zone. I feel incredibly proud to have contributed to those efforts, which will save thousands of lives in a future tsunami.
Overall, I’m also very proud of GHI’s approach, which centers on equipping and empowering local people to drive efforts forward. We see our work as planting seeds, and it’s deeply rewarding to learn, years later, how those seeds continue to bear fruit.
STRUCTURE: What lessons did you learn that were valuable for later?
Cedillos: A key lesson was that local ownership is absolutely key, and with local ownership, it’s important to let go of control. When I was in the middle of the tsunami project I had my own ideas of what success meant and when it had to be done. At first I felt that our efforts were a failure, mostly because results didn’t happen right away and didn’t turn out exactly as I had envisioned. But with time, I realized that local leaders took up many of the recommendations we had co-developed with our Indonesian colleagues. They didn’t look exactly as planned, but they were even better as they were fully locally owned. This means they are much more likely to continue into the future, which is ultimately what is needed to sustain impact.
STRUCTURE: Your 13 years with GeoHazards International were split up with a 4-year stint at the Applied Technology Council in the middle. What attracted you to the work of ATC? What drew you back to GeoHazards International?
Cedillos: I learned of ATCs work while at GHI when I was working on tsunami vertical evacuation structures. I learned of technical guidelines ATC developed for FEMAon this topic and became very interested in their work. Later I got the opportunity to work for ATC, which was an incredibly valuable experience. I learned a lot about technical practice development, and the progress, as well as remaining challenges, of building disaster resilience in the U.S. My work there made me realize how disaster resilience takes time. It struck me that California, a leader in earthquake resilience, has been working on this topic for a century and we still have work to do. This insight influenced my perspective on how to effectively make a meaningful impact elsewhere – it requires a long-term approach. I was quite happy at ATC, but when I was offered the position to lead GHI, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
STRUCTURE: How has your background contributed to where you are today?
Cedillos: I grew up in the border town of El Paso, Texas. I spent a lot of my childhood visiting family right across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. This experience made me deeply appreciate the importance of opportunity and how it can influence one’s life trajectory. I have felt a deep desire to do meaningful work in my life since I was young. I like structural engineering from an intellectual perspective, so my work with non-profits (both GHI and ATC) has been a perfect intersection of my interests and desire to contribute to a meaningful cause.
STRUCTURE: What is the best advice you’ve been given in your career, or otherwise?
Cedillos: I’ve had so many wonderful mentors along the path of my education and career. I have been lucky, but I have also deeply valued the people who have been willing to share their wisdom and insights with me. I find that most people are quite generous in sharing if you are authentically interested in their thoughts and advice.
I forget who first highlighted the importance of mentors to me, but I continue to apply it in my career (and personal life, for that matter). In fact, one of the things I enjoy most about working at GHI is engaging with board members. GHI’s board is made up of incredibly talented and experienced people from various backgrounds, all who want to help GHI succeed. I have benefitted so much from engaging and learning from them. I feel similar about my global team across 6+ countries. They all bring different perspectives and insights that continue to shape the way I see the world.
STRUCTURE: What is the biggest challenge that GeoHazards International is facing?
Cedillos: GHI, like many others, has been deeply affected by the federal funding cuts this year. Our largest ongoing program, which was funded by USAID, was terminated along with over 80% of USAID’s projects worldwide. This program represented about 1/3 of our annual revenue, involved on-the-ground work in four countries, and consisted of teams totaling 32 people across nine countries.
We are pivoting and adapting, and although our work volume has reduced, our commitment towards our mission has not. We have other ongoing projects across multiple countries, and already had efforts underway to diversify our funding streams. Many people and organizations who believe in our work and our team have also stepped up to help. It is a challenging time, but I’m confident that our resilient, global team will be able to continue our work despite the unprecedented circumstances.
STRUCTURE: What can practicing structural engineers do to help?
Cedillos: Structural engineers play a critical role in ensuring the safety and resilience of our built environment and therefore in protecting people and communities. With increasing disasters, this is all the more important. Structural engineers can advocate for ensuring that disaster resilience is integrated into our industry. Disaster resilience is not achieved in silos, so I encourage structural engineers to learn about other relevant disciplines and learn to communicate effectively to decision-makers and people who are influential in the industry.
More specific to GHI, structural engineers can follow our work, share it with others who may be interested, and spread the word as to why our programs are important. ■