Summary
Limited to 750 participants each year, attending this workshop has become a coveted rite of passage in the field, and more than a dozen members of the Hub seized the opportunity to be a part of its esteemed legacy and 50-year celebration.
Since its inception in 1975, thousands of experts, academics, and practitioners in disaster science have flocked to Broomfield, Colorado, to attend the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop (NHRAW). This conference, which is hosted by the Natural Hazards Center, has anchored this niche community for decades, becoming one of the most celebrated traditions in the field.
The theme of this year’s workshop was The Next 50 Years: Charting a Course for the Hazards and Disaster Field. According to NHC Director Lori Peek, the heart of this meeting – providing rich substantive content through bringing together people from all corners of the hazards and disaster science community – has stayed the same. The context of the work and research being done in this field, however, is constantly evolving. This sentiment was an evocative call to action for all attendees, who ranged in discipline, background, sector, and experience.
CHEER’s diverse team of researchers, students, and partners makes it an apt addition to the NHRAW list of participants. For the third consecutive year, nearly a dozen members attended the workshop and subsequent researcher and practitioner meetings. CHEER members had the opportunity to ground the discussions in emerging research, assess new risks and recent disasters, and champion evidence-based programs and policies that avert harm and suffering.
Each year, all workshop attendees – up to 750 participants – gather in a single meeting space to introduce themselves, stating their name and affiliation. This session, which officially opens the week-long conference, is a tradition that dates to the first workshop in 1975 and reflects the event’s commitment to ensuring that people have a chance to connect. Pictured from left to right are Gulrukh Kakar, Nesar Khan, and Amanda Stoltz. (Courtesy of Chip Van Zandt)
For some, like Abbey Hotard, a researcher on the Hub’s households and government thrusts, participating in this multi-day conference has become somewhat of a tradition. This was her fourth time attending the meeting. While she has experienced a lot of change in the last year – transitioning from a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware to an assistant professor at the University of South Alabama – she says the welcoming, synergistic atmosphere and the tight-knit natural hazards community make the workshop feel like her “academic home.”
“The continued culture of collaboration and interdisciplinary approach to solving real-world challenges is so energizing,” Hotard said. “It’s clear that this is a special event when you see the thought-leaders in our field come back year after year and encourage you to do the same.”
Left: Nesar Khan, Joe Trainor, and Abbey Hotard, all members of the Hub’s households thrust, met at Shep’s, the Omni Interlocken Hotel’s rooftop restaurant, to catch up over a quick dinner. Right: Sydney Dyck, Abbey Hotard, Yvonne Dadson, Meghan Millea, and Amanda Stoltz joined the workshop’s poster sessions to check out the latest updates and findings in the disaster science and natural hazards community. (Courtesy of Abbey Hotard)
CHEER Education Director Meghan Millea echoed this attitude, saying there is something “magical” about connecting with the same community year after year. She views the meeting as an exciting rite of passage for new researchers entering the field. Millea has seen this firsthand, as her network of summer scholars alumni grows and flourishes.
“It was delightful to see these students meeting with each other over the breaks and building their connections with the CHEER,” said Millea. “Watching their research evolve and progress has been so rewarding. They continue to surprise me with their curiosity and drive.”
A significant highlight for CHEER was this group’s engagement in the NHRAW. Six students from across the Hub’s three annual summer scholars cohorts attended the workshop. Three of them – TyKeara Mims (‘23), Amidu Kalokoh (‘24), and Michelle Ruiz (‘25) – presented their research during the Bill Anderson Fund Lightning Talks.
Several of the Hub’s former summer scholars attended the workshop. Three of these alumni, TyKeara Mims (‘23), Amidu Kalokoh (‘24), and Michelle Ruiz (‘25) participated in the Bill Anderson Fund Lightning Talks, a series of short presentations showcasing the work of BAF fellows. (Courtesy of Abbey Hotard/Chip Van Zandt)
Annika Doneghy, a 2021 Bill Anderson Fund fellow and PhD student at Case Western Reserve University, said the BAF-led plenary session, “Imagining Future Possibilities: Moving From Vision to Reality,” was “moving and inspiring.” She was glad to see some familiar faces. In addition to reuniting with Mims and Nyla Howell, who were both members of the Hub’s first cohort of summer scholars, Doneghy was delighted to connect with other researchers, including ones from CHEER and those she has cited in her research.
“I didn’t present this year, but one of my goals was to meet new people in the field,” Doneghy said. “One of the best parts of this meeting is the shared passion for what we do. Even as a student, I feel comfortable talking with and reaching out to professionals and academics.”
This sentiment was echoed by Gulrukh Kakar, a first-time NHRAW attendee and PhD student at the University of Delaware. Kakar says she has been looking forward to participating in the workshop for years, even when she first entered the disaster scene field as a graduate student in Pakistan in 2015.
Attendees had the opportunity to visit more than 100 posters during the workshop’s two poster sessions on July 13 and 14, 2025. Several PhD students from the University of Delaware, including Anmol Arora (far left), Gulrukh Kakar (fourth from the left), and Sydney Dyck (second from the right), attended the workshop. (Courtesy of Chip Van Zandt)
“Being here in person, after years of hearing about it, was both inspiring and validating,” Kakar said. “Seeing the depth of expertise, the openness to share ideas, and the genuine collaboration in every conversation showed me why this workshop has been the mainstay of the hazards and disaster community for decades.”
She was one of several Hub members to present during the workshop. Her poster focused on how disaster policies guide funding decisions for hazard mitigation. Anmol Arora, a fellow UD-based PhD student, also presented his research.
Arora’s poster, titled Game of Thrones: Conflicting Organizational Logic and Unlearning at FEMA, focused on how an organization’s core belief systems and guiding principles shape its mission and decision-making. While his research was not strictly related to CHEER’s focus areas, he found that sharing his work with members of the Hub and the natural hazards community was an energizing experience.
“The opportunity to step out of our usual environments and immerse ourselves in a gathering of peers was invaluable because you get to see the breadth of ideas, theories, methods, and understandings emerging from across the field,” Arora said.” People point you toward new literature, share parallel experiences, and take a genuine interest in your work.”
Many workshop attendees say that participating in the NHRAW is an empowering and inspiring experience. People often leave feeling motivated by their peers and the knowledge that they are a part of a greater community committed to advancing knowledge and improving society’s resilience to disasters.
While the 50th anniversary of the NHRAW was certainly a cause for celebration, this year’s theme was also a poignant reminder that disaster science is at a crossroads. The workshop unfolded in the shadow of a dual reckoning—one climatic, the other institutional–as the world continues to face a growing number of billion-dollar disasters and a visible retreat of the federal role in resilience.
According to Arora, this urgency was embedded in the themes and happenings of the workshop.
“Across sessions, there was a shared sense that the field must realign and innovate, not just in theory but in institutional practice,” Arora said. “This 50-year milestone underscores that this workshop is a necessary space for the community to come together, take stock, and think critically about its impact and contributions, perhaps now more than at any point in its history.”
The theme for this year’s semicentennial workshop was “The Next 50 Years: Charting a Course for the Hazards and Disaster Field.” This poster is meant to reflect the need for diverse ideas, perspectives, and voices to sustain innovation and research in these fields of study. (Courtesy of Chip Van Zandt)
Across the three-day workshop and two-day researchers and practitioners meeting, members of the Hub and its affiliates showcased their research, led lightning talks, participated in panels, and even competed in the 11th Annual Bill Anderson Fund “Disaster Dash” 5k. In the list below, we’ve highlighted the involvement and accomplishments of the CHEER team as well as its alumni and partners.
Workshop – Sessions and Events
Plenary Session:
- Imagining Future Possibilities—Moving from Vision to Reality – Nnenia Campbell, Natural Hazards Center
Bill Anderson Fund Lightning Talks
- Natural Hazard Preparedness for Correctional Facilities in Virginia – Amidu Kalokoh, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Sociodemographic Drivers of Hazard Response: Evidence from Hays County – TyKeara Mims, Texas A&M University
- Rapidly Intensifying Hurricanes and Spanish-Speaking Communities: Examining Risk Perception and Communication Challenges – Michelle Ruiz, University of Florida
Workshop – Poster Sessions
- The Impact of Hurricane Helene on Community Wellness in Western North Carolina (PDF) – *Sydney Dyck, University of Delaware; Roni Fraser, Arizona State University; Sarah DeYoung, University of Delaware
- Integrating Equity Principles in Flood Mitigation: Evaluating Resource Allocation Strategies (PDF) – *Gulrukh Kakar, University of Delaware
- Game of Thrones: Conflicting Organizational Logics and Unlearning at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (PDF) – *Anmol Arora, University of Delaware
Researchers Meeting
- To Return or Not: Home Habitability Perceptions on Post-Disaster Decision-Making – *Nesar Kahn, University of Delaware; Abbey Hotard, University of South Alabama; Adam Andresen, University of Delaware; Joe Trainor, University of Delaware
- Innovating Insurance for Coastal Resilience: Evaluating Payment Timing and Disaster Recovery – *Abbey Hotard, University of South Alabama; Nesar Kahn, University of Delaware; Adam Andresen, University of Delaware; Joe Trainor, University of Delaware; Rachel Davidson, University of Delaware
