As CLIMBS works to strengthen climate and hazard resilience across Kentucky, its faculty forms the backbone of the initiative. Dr. Weibing Gong, a new addition to the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, brings expertise in landslide hazards and geotechnical engineering, directly advancing Project 5 of CLIMBS: forecasting and mitigating landslides across the state.
From his Master’s work on hillslope stability under seismic loading to his Ph.D. research at UC Berkeley on regional-scale earthquake-induced landslides, Gong’s work has consistently focused on landslides. One of his primary goals is to push forecasting beyond individual events. “While geotechnical engineering has developed mature approaches for modeling individual landslides, forecasting at the regional scale remains challenging due to data limitations and computational efficiency,” Gong says. To bridge the gap, he helped develop RESTAB-Inversion and RESTAB-Prediction algorithms, integrating machine learning with physics-based methods to improve forecasting accuracy of regional earthquake-induced landslides.
At Missouri University of Science and Technology, Gong expanded his research to landslides triggered by rainfall and climatic forces. His team developed an early warning system and a physics-informed neural network framework, both designed to predict landslide occurrence and behavior—tools well-suited to CLIMBS’ prerogatives.
The University of Kentucky’s strong reputation, interdisciplinary environment, and commitment to real-world challenges were major factors in Gong coming to UK and CLIMBS. “Kentucky faces serious geological hazards…Through my research and expertise, I hope to contribute to mitigating these risks and to making our state more resilient and better prepared for the future,” he notes.
Joining CLIMBS, Gong is energized by the team’s interdisciplinary focus and expertise. “I’m excited to contribute my knowledge in field investigations and modeling, and to translate research into tools that communities can actually use,” he says. He also hopes to learn from local communities, ensuring the work remains grounded in real needs.
For Gong, building back better means embedding hazard mitigation into every stage of recovery: strengthening slopes, improving drainage, and considering land-use adjustments. Challenges arise in balancing engineering feasibility with economic and social realities, particularly under limited resources and time pressure. Clear communication of risks is crucial so residents and policymakers can make informed decisions. That’s why the research results from Gong and Project 5 are so vital to CLIMBS’ progress. Dr. L. Sebastian Bryson, Ph.D., P.E., BC. GE, F.ASCE, Co-PI of CLIMBS, speaks to the importance of Dr. Gong’s research.
“Dr. Weibing Gong’s pioneering integration of physics-based and machine-learning models will transform how Kentucky predicts and mitigates landslides and flooding,” Bryson says. “His research directly advances CLIMBS’ mission to build climate resilience, providing cutting-edge tools to safeguard infrastructure and communities while positioning Kentucky as a national leader in geohazard science and sustainable infrastructure.” – Dr. Sebastian Bryson
The landslide models Gong and his team are developing aim to shift Eastern Kentucky communities from reactive response to proactive planning. By forecasting where landslides may occur and estimating their impacts, these tools guide safer infrastructure, land-use, and emergency planning decisions. Residents gain clearer insights into local risks, and limited resources can be directed where they are most needed, into better and more accurate landslide warning systems, like tornado and flood warning systems.
Looking ahead, Gong is optimistic. “My goal is to create actionable, near real-time forecasting tools,” he says. “Ultimately, we hope to empower both policymakers and residents to reduce losses and help Kentucky build stronger, safer, and more resilient communities.”
