KEVIN M. SIMMONS is the Corrigan Chair of Economics at Austin College. In 2009 he was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to work with the International Center for Geohazards in Oslo. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Texas Tech University where he developed a research interest in the economics of natural hazards. His articles are widely cited and have appeared in journals from a variety of academic disciplines including engineering, sociology, law, meteorology as well as economics.