The Natural Hazards Center (NHC), within the Behavioral Sciences Institute at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was established in 1973 to improve and contribute to the knowledge base of the youth of the time, academic field of disaster research and contribute to reducing the destruction caused by disasters. The NHC has contributed decades of continued service to communities and all levels of government, sharing information from its "all-hazards approach to addressing environmental extremes" and promoting cooperative and "integrated activities among researchers, practitioners and policy makers around the world. the world” (NHC, 2011). The Center receives its funding primarily from United States federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), US Geological Survey (USGS ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among others. The NHC is guided by a national advisory committee composed of members representing federal agencies and members of local and state governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and the private sector (NHC, 2011). To accomplish its mission, the NHC publishes books, articles, and reports on disaster research and emergency management (EM), and also has one of the largest collections of natural hazards literature. The Center also publishes a monthly newsletter, Natural Hazards Observer, and a biweekly electronic newsletter, Disaster Research. In fact, the NHC has a very visible presence on the Internet and maintains a searchable online database, HazLit. Many publications are available on their website, including rapid response reports (from a field research program dating back to 1986), Research Digest articles, which are summaries of articles available in the NHC library classified into 24 thematic areas, as well as numerous links to other publications. Visitors can also purchase copies of NHC publications on the website (NHC, 2011). Another main program of the NHC is research. The Center engages students in research activities to give them practical training in disaster and social science research and allows them to participate in multidisciplinary projects undertaken by renowned staff. NHC Director Kathleen Tierney and Senior Research Scientist Dennis S. Mileti lead the Center and both have published numerous articles on various aspects of disaster management before and during their tenure at the NHC. Both were also principal authors of works published by the National Academy Press, funded by the National Science Foundation, which dealt with "the evaluation of natural hazards research" (Mileti, 1999).