Abstract: Disaster vulnerability is a multi-dimensional issue that is shaped by political, economic, cultural, and historical factors.  People are made vulnerable not by their individual characteristics, but by the ways in which their social environment shapes their exposure to and protection from the risks within their physical environment.  As a result, people on the margins of society are often forced to live in unsafe conditions and bear the most severe impacts from disasters.  Understanding the social underpinnings of disaster vulnerability is vital in efforts to communicate with socially disadvantaged people about the risks they face and to work collaboratively towards addressing them. In this presentation, Dr. Nnenia Campbell will discuss disaster vulnerability in the context of risk communication, with an emphasis on equity and inclusive engagement.

Bio: Dr. Nnenia Campbell is Deputy Director of the Bill Anderson Fund (BAF) and a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center (NHC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work with the BAF supports leadership and professional development training among historically underrepresented minorities pursuing doctoral degrees in fields related to hazards and disaster research. Her projects with the NHC translate empirical research into tools and information products designed for practitioners and decision-makers, such as guidance for responding to disasters during the COVID-19 pandemic and key principles for risk communication involving marginalized communities.
Dr. Campbell will present virtually. Dr. Reilly will moderate in-person and virtual attendees.

The CEE DEI Seminar Series is sponsored by WRA. For questions, please contact Pam Lloyd at plloyd@umd.edu.

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