I had an opportunity to conduct independent research at the University of California, Berkeley, USA for a year from October 2013 to September 2014. Receiving direction from Berkeley Professor Mary Comerio and Professor Emeritus Steven Tobriner, who are internationally recognized experts in disaster recovery architecture, I focused my study on how citizens in neighborhoods reconstructed their homes and communities after the large scale 1991 fire in Oakland and Berkeley, with particular emphasis on understanding citizens’ efforts to influence reconstruction efforts. The John Mung Program was essential in providing an opportunity to investigate these aspects of reconstruction, including meetings with scholars, visiting archives, and interviewing survivors. I will continue my study to better understand the social dynamics of disaster reconstruction.