Kenneth Otárola
Disaster Risk Management Consultant
My expertise lies on probabilistic multi-hazard life-cycle consequence analysis, which helps evaluate and manage the risks associated with natural hazard events. Specifically, it involves developing frameworks that consider the dynamic changes in the performance and functionality of critical assets and utility networks subjected to multiple hazards and their complex interactions. By providing accurate estimations of hazard-induced consequences, my work aims to contribute to effective risk-informed decision-making and facilitate the development of disaster mitigation strategies and resilience-enhancing policies.
Email:
Address:
San José, Costa Rica
EXPERIENCE
2025-Present
Disaster Risk Management Consultant
Inter-American Development Bank
Provide technical support for the development of the RiskHUB and RiskMonitor platforms, including methodologies for disaster risk assessment across all 26 IDB LAC member countries.
Supervisor: Dr. Ginés Suárez
2024-2025
Research Fellow
University College London
• Advanced real-time risk management technologies for enhanced resilience in earthquake-prone regions (ARTISTRY).
• Multi-hazard and risk-informed system for enhanced local and regional disaster risk management (MEDiate).
Supervisor: Dr. Gemma Cremen and Dr. Carmine Galasso
2022-2024
Research Assistant
University College London
• Multi-hazard and risk-informed system for enhanced local and regional disaster risk management (MEDiate).
• Multi-hazard risk and resilience assessment methodologies accounting for multiple, interacting hazard events.
Supervisor: Dr. Carmine Galasso and Dr. Roberto Gentile
2020-2024
Graduate Student Researcher
IUSS Pavia and University of Pavia
From seismic to multi-hazard: modelling dynamic physical vulnerability for risk assessment. Advancing time-dependent physical vulnerability modelling of engineering systems.
Supervisor: Dr. Carmine Galasso and Dr. Roberto Gentile
2020
Research Assistant
University College London and AIR Worldwide
Probabilistic earthquake risk modelling. Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Nonlinear modelling and nonlinear dynamic analysis. Fragility and vulnerability derivation.
Supervisor: Dr. Carmine Galasso and Dr. Luis Sousa
2014-2018
Structural and Earthquake Engineer
Ingeniería Sismo-Resistente, S.A.
Analysis, assessment, design and inspection of buildings and bridges through philosophies such as load and resistance factor design and performance-based design.
Supervisor: Dr. Javier Cartín and M.Sc. Eduardo Garro
2012-2014
Laboratory Assistant
National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models (LanammeUCR)
Applied research, teaching, and technology transfer in the areas of structural, earthquake, geotechnical and materials engineering for the protection of the civil infrastructure, roads, and other lifelines.
Supervisor: Dr. Guillermo Gonzáles and M.Sc. Francisco Villalobos
2011-2012
Research Assistant
Sustainable Urban Development Research Program (ProDUS-UCR)
Analysis of evolution and impacts of urban growth, territorial planning, environmental impact, technological strengthening, urban river recovery and natural hazards.
Supervisor: Dr. Rosendo Pujol and M.Sc. Lil Moya
EDUCATION
2020-2024
Ph.D. in Understanding and Managing Extremes (ROSE curriculum)
IUSS Pavia and University of Pavia
Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (ROSE)
Location: Pavia, Italy
Dissertation: From Seismic to Multi-Hazard: Modelling Dynamic Physical Vulnerability for Risk and Resilience Assessment (joint IUSS-UniPV-UCL research project) (Excellent cum laude).
2022-2024
Visiting research scholar (ERASMUS+ research mobility program)
University College London
Civil Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
Location: London, United Kingdom
Dissertation: From Seismic to Multi-Hazard: Modelling Dynamic Physical Vulnerability for Risk and Resilience Assessment (joint IUSS-UniPV-UCL research project) (Excellent cum laude).
2018-2020
M.Sc. in Civil Engineering for Mitigation of Risk from Natural Hazards (ROSE curriculum)
IUSS Pavia and University of Pavia
Reduction of Seismic Risk (ROSE)
Location: Pavia, Italy
Dissertation: Impact of Earthquake-induced Ground-Motion Duration on Nonlinear Structural Performance (joint IUSS-UniPV-UCL research project) (110/110 cum laude).
2020-2020
Visiting research scholar (ERASMUS+ research mobility program)
University College London
Civil Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
Location: London, United Kingdom
Dissertation: Impact of Earthquake-induced Ground-Motion Duration on Nonlinear Structural Performance (joint UniPV-IUSS-UCL research project) (110/110 cum laude).
2009-2014
Lic. in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering Major (5 years programme)
University of Costa Rica
School of Civil Engineering
Location: San José, Costa Rica
Dissertation: Strength Evaluation of Precast Structures Subjected to Lateral Load According to CSCR-10 (joint UCR-LanammeUCR research project).
PUBLICATIONS
Journal Publications
10. . . . ,Otárola, K., Cremen, G., Gentile, R., . . . , Trogrlic, R., De Ruiter, M., Ward, P. (2025). Review paper: the assessment of dynamic vulnerability to natural hazards in single- and multi-hazard risk assessments (in preparation)
9. Otárola, K., Cremen, G., & Galasso, C., 2025. A framework for quantifying locally relevant (and potentially novel) risk and resilience metrics amidst climate change (in preparation)
8. Otárola, K., Gentile, R., & Galasso, C., 2025. Informing disaster management strategies for bridge networks through multi-hazard resilience analysis (in review)
7. Otárola, K., Iannacone, L., Gentile, R., & Galasso, C. (2024). Multi-hazard life-cycle consequence analysis of deteriorating engineering systems. Structural Safety, 102515. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2024.102515
6. Otárola, K., Iannacone, L., Gentile, R., & Galasso, C. (2024). Simulation-based consequence analysis of reinforced-concrete buildings subjected to earthquake- and environment-induced damage accumulation. Engineering Structures, 317, 118554. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118554
5. Iannacone, L., Otárola, K., Gentile, R., & Galasso, C. (2024). Simulating multi-hazard event sets for life cycle consequence analysis. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 24(5), 1721–1740. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-1721-2024
4. Otárola K, Sousa L, Gentile R, Galasso C. Impact of ground-motion duration on nonlinear structural performance: Part II: site- and building-specific analysis. Earthquake Spectra. 2023;39(2):860-888. https://doi.org/10.1177/87552930231155506
3. Otárola K, Gentile R, Sousa L, Galasso C. Impact of ground-motion duration on nonlinear structural performance: Part I: spectrally equivalent records and inelastic single-degree-of-freedom systems. Earthquake Spectra. 2023;39(2):829-859. https://doi.org/10.1177/87552930231155502
2. Otárola, K, Gentile, R, Sousa, L, Galasso, C. Accounting for earthquake-induced ground-motion duration in building-portfolio loss assessment. Earthquake Engng Struct Dyn. 2023; 52: 887– 909. https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.3791
1. Otárola, K, Fayaz, J, Galasso, C. Fragility and vulnerability analysis of deteriorating ordinary bridges using simulated ground-motion sequences. Earthquake Engng Struct Dyn. 2022; 51: 3215– 3240. https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.3720
Journal Publications
Conference Publications
12. Borzi, B., ..., Galasso, C., Otárola K., Cremen G., ..., Gehl P., Implementation of a Decision Support System (DSS) to guide local and regional administrations in the mitigation of impacts due to Multi-(hazards), European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU25), Vienna, Austria, April 27-May 2, 2025
11. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., Life-cycle consequence analysis of transportation infrastructure systems subject to multiple hazards, 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE2024), Milan, Italy, June 30-July 5, 2024.
10. Iannacone, L., Otárola, K., Gentile, R., & Galasso, C., A harmonised scale for cascading consequences in multi-hazard analysis, 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE2024), Milan, Italy, June 30-July 5, 2024.
9. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., Accounting for damage accumulation in multi-hazard life-cycle consequence analysis, Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED), Cambridge, United Kingdom, September 14-15, 2023.
8. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., Time-dependent fragility analysis of deteriorating structural systems under seismic sequences, Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED), Cambridge, United Kingdom, September 14-15, 2023.
7. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., Accounting for earthquake- and environmentally-induced damage accumulation in single-building loss assessment, Engineering Mechanics Institute International Conference 2023 (EMI IC 2023), Palermo, Italy, August 27-30, 2023.
6. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., A Markovian modelling framework for life-cycle consequences of infrastructure systems in a multi-hazard environment, 8th International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE 2023), Milan, Italy, July 2-6, 2023.
5. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., A Markovian framework for multi-hazard life-cycle consequence analysis of deteriorating structural systems, 14th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engineering (ICASP14), Dublin, Ireland, July 9-13, 2023.
4. Otárola K., Iannacone L., Gentile R., Galasso C., Seismic fragility analysis of deteriorating reinforced concrete buildings from a life-cycle perspective, 14th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engineering (ICASP14), Dublin, Ireland, July 9-13, 2023.
3. Otárola K., Fayaz J., Galasso C., Fragility Analysis of Deteriorating Bridge Components Subjected to Simulated Ground-Motion Sequences, 12th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (12NCEE), Salt Lake City, UT, USA, June 27-July 1, 2022.
2. Otárola K., Gentile R., Sousa L., Galasso C., Investigating ground-motion duration effects on building portfolio loss estimates, 8th International Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN2021), Athens, Greece, June 28-30, 2021.
1. Otárola K., Villalobos F. Strength Evaluation of Precast Structures Subjected to Lateral Load According to CSCR-10, Structures Congress - XIII Seminary of Structural and Earthquake Engineering, San José, Costa Rica, August 5-7, 2015 (in Spanish).