REU Site: Socials Aspects of Hurricanes--Preparation, Response and Recovery with Vulnerable Populations

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Proposal # 0649060 Naomi Yavneh New Summer REU Site: Social Aspects of Hurricanes: Preparation, Response and Recovery with Vulnerable Populations Located in Tampa, on Florida's Gulf-coast, the University of South Florida is an ideal location for hurricane-related research. USF's nine-week summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Site will focus on the social aspects of hurricanes i.e., how individuals, communities and institutions prepare for, experience and recover from hurricanes. Eight students will be selected from geographic locations across the country threatened by hurricanes. The centerpiece of the program is an intensive, interdisciplinary research experience where each student will actively engage in a faculty-mentored research project focused on hurricane hazards and social vulnerabilities of individuals and communities. Students will learn to apply qualitative and quantitative research methods, including the use of GIS mapping technology, to examine the geo-social dynamics of hurricanes and their impact on communities; participate in on-site visits to the NOAA National Weather Service, MacDill Airforce Base (home of the P3 Hurricane Hunter airplane), and a county Emergency Operations Center; and interact personally with Police, Fire, and Rescue first responder experts. In addition, students will become certified by the American Red Cross in disaster response and management skills including mass care; attend seminar sessions on research ethics; and hear guest speakers from a variety of disciplines discuss research and applications pertaining to hurricane hazards, risk and social vulnerability. As a capstone experience, students will showcase their research projects at a university-community symposium held at the end of the nine-week session, and will be supported in submitting their work to a state, regional or national research conference. Participants will also engage in social activities, both as a group and in conjunction with other REUs on campus, and receive guidance on preparation for graduate and professional school. A central goal of the program is to stimulate interest in the scientific study of the social dynamics of hurricane vulnerability by integrating knowledge, skills, and humanitarian outreach. We aim to prepare a cohort of new researchers well-equipped to understand and confront these challenges. Accordingly, the program will enhance participants' prospects for pursuing graduate study and careers in science, particularly for those participants who do not have comparable opportunities at their home institutions.