Mathias Raschke | Applied Mathematics | Outstanding Contribution Award

Dr. Mathias Raschke | Applied Mathematics | Outstanding Contribution Award

Risk Engineer at Freelancer (beside a job in industry), Germany

Dr. Mathias Raschke is an accomplished civil and structural engineer with extensive expertise in natural catastrophe (NatCat) modeling, risk assessment, and model development. With a Ph.D. from Bauhaus University Weimar, he has developed and validated earthquake, storm, and flood risk models across Europe, Africa, and Australia. His work spans academic research, reinsurance analytics, and commercial software development, including the creation of QuakeRisk. Dr. Raschke is highly skilled in stochastic modeling, statistical analysis, and the application of leading industry tools like RMS and AIR. He is an active member of several professional societies, including the German Society for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, and contributes to innovation in both NatCat and emerging risk domains like cyber and credit modeling.

Academic Profile

SCOPUS

ORCID

Education

Dr. Mathias Raschke holds a Doctorate in Civil/Structural Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) from Bauhaus University Weimar, awarded in December 2003. His Ph.D. research focused on the correlation between earthquake intensity and building damage, and its application in seismic risk analysis, earning the distinction magna cum laude. Prior to that, he completed his Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.) in Civil Engineering at Bauhaus University Weimar between 1993 and 1997, with a diploma thesis examining challenges in earthquake-resistant construction using traditional building methods in Central Asia. He began his academic journey with a pre-diploma in Construction Informatics from HAB (now Bauhaus University) from 1989 to 1992, where he concentrated on software development for the construction and civil engineering industries. His academic training combines a strong foundation in engineering, informatics, and risk modeling—laying the groundwork for his interdisciplinary expertise in natural catastrophe modeling.

Experience

Dr. Mathias Raschke is a seasoned expert in natural catastrophe (NatCat) modeling, with decades of experience across academia, reinsurance, and independent consultancy. Since 2003, he has worked as an independent scientist and freelancer, focusing on the development and distribution of QuakeRisk—a custom earthquake risk model and software—and publishing research on advanced modeling techniques in stochastic, actuarial, and geoscience journals. Most recently, he served as a NatCat Analyst and Director at Howden Re, and previously at Ecclesia Re, where he led the modeling and validation of German NatCat portfolios, as well as actuarial modeling in emerging areas like cyber, credit, and bond risks. Prior to that, he worked as a Senior Consultant and Modeler at R+V Re, contributing to AIR-based modeling and validation of catastrophe portfolios across multiple countries and perils. Dr. Raschke also has a strong academic and research background, having held senior scientist roles at ETH Zurich and IWSÖ Weimar, where he led projects on infrastructure vulnerability and flood risk under EU-funded initiatives. His early career includes a scientific appointment at Bauhaus University Weimar, where he conducted research on earthquake hazard and vulnerability, including field missions. With deep expertise in hazard, vulnerability, and financial modeling components, and hands-on experience with commercial platforms like RMS and AIR, Dr. Raschke is recognized for his innovative problem-solving, technical rigor, and cross-disciplinary insights into catastrophe risk.

Research Interests

Dr. Mathias Raschke’s research interests lie at the intersection of natural catastrophe (NatCat) modeling, risk assessment, and engineering-based hazard analysis. He is particularly focused on the development and validation of probabilistic and stochastic models for perils such as earthquakes, floods, and storms, integrating physical hazard data with statistical and actuarial approaches. His work encompasses all components of catastrophe modeling—from hazard characterization and vulnerability assessment to financial impact analysis—aiming to enhance both scientific understanding and practical applications in insurance and risk management. In recent years, he has expanded his interests to include emerging risks such as cyber threats and credit & bond modeling. He is also dedicated to advancing novel computational methods, such as integral-differential interpolation and combined return period modeling, and applying GIS and software development tools for spatial and systemic risk modeling. His research reflects a strong commitment to bridging engineering science with real-world solutions for disaster resilience and insurance risk evaluation.

Publications 📚 

Modelling maximum cyber incident losses of German organisations: an empirical study and modified extreme value distribution approach

Integral-Differential Interpolation of Grid Cell Information

Spatiality in Hazard Models for European Windstorms

About the return period of a catastrophe

Conclusion

Dr. Mathias Raschke stands out as an eminent candidate for the Outstanding Contribution Award owing to his innovative research, technological leadership, and broad societal impact in natural catastrophe modeling. His body of work not only advances academic science but also fortifies global resilience to disaster risks, fulfilling the very spirit of this prestigious honor.

Muhilan Ramamoorthy | Combinatorial Optimization | Best Researcher Award

Dr.Muhilan Ramamoorthy | Combinatorial Optimization | Best Researcher Award

Instructor Arizona State University United States

Muhilan Ramamoorthy is a seasoned researcher and instructor with extensive experience in both academia and industry. He is dedicated to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and has a rich background in systems engineering, software development, and validation. As an AI and machine learning enthusiast, his research focuses on applying these technologies to combinatorial optimization problems to create meaningful and equitable impacts.

Profile

Google Scholar

Education 🎓

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering – Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (December 2022)
    • Dissertation: “Heuristics for Arc Routing Problems and Their Applications”
    • GPA: 3.75
  • Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering – Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India (May 2002)

Experience 💼

  • Instructor (Full-time) – Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (August 2023 – Present)
    • Taught various formats: regular, online, hybrid
    • Engaged with large classes and utilized innovative pedagogical methods
  • Instructor – Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (July 2015 – May 2022)
    • Facilitated problem-based and cooperative learning for graduate and undergraduate students
    • Improved course content and student engagement
  • Data Science Intern – Change for Change, NY (May 2022 – December 2022)
    • Developed models for text classification and charity impact calculation
  • Machine Learning Intern – Infineon Technologies, Irvine, CA (June 2021 – August 2021)
    • Worked on noise reduction and speaker identification projects
  • Tech Lead – Visteon Technical and Services Center, Chennai, India (January 2006 – July 2014)
    • Led product development for various automotive programs

Research Interests 🔍

  • Neural Combinatorial Optimization for routing problems
  • Learning heuristics for solving arc and capacitated arc routing problems
  • Representation learning for graphs and deep reinforcement learning
  • Heuristics, meta-heuristics, and hybrid methods for vehicle and arc routing problems

Awards 🏆

  • Winner, City of Phoenix – Cisco IoT Challenge (2017)
    • Developed an app for the City of Phoenix Public Works Department
  • NSF Travel Grant Award (2016)
    • For attending the US GENI and EU FIRE Summer Camp in Ghent, Belgium
  • Leading the Way Award, Visteon Corporation (2011)
    • Recognized for the successful delivery of the Mahindra L3 program

Publications 📚

  1. Online re-routing for vehicle breakdown in residential waste collection2020 IEEE 92nd Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2020-Fall), IEEE, 2020
  2. MA-ABC: A memetic algorithm optimizing attractiveness, balance, and cost for capacitated Arc routing problemsProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference, 2021
  3. Heuristics for Arc Routing Problems and Their ApplicationsArizona State University, 2022
  4. Learning heuristics for arc routing problemsIntelligent Systems with Applications, 2024