Where the Ground Gives Way…

At the 2025 California Geographical Society (CGS) Conference, I presented an expanded version of my GIS-based research poster analyzing the spatial relationship between seismic hazards and socioeconomic vulnerability in the San Francisco Bay Area. Building on earlier work focused on Los Angeles County, this version incorporated liquefaction zones, Quaternary fault lines, and per capita income data across four counties: San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. The goal was to assess how geologic risk intersects with economic disadvantage, with broader implications for equitable disaster preparedness and urban planning.

This project was recognized across three academic venues: first place at the CGS Conference undergraduate poster competition, Outstanding Poster at Pasadena City College’s Natural Sciences Poster Session, and recognition as Outstanding Poster at the Los Angeles Geographical Society (LAGS) Student Symposium. Across each setting, feedback highlighted the project’s visual clarity, relevance to current geospatial equity challenges, and potential for continued expansion into other hazard-prone regions.