DRC Alumni Profiles: 35


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Zackery R White

DEGREE: 2024, Ph.D., Epidemiology

JOB TITLE: Research Analyst, Unite Us

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Farah Nibbs

DEGREE: 2024, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Assistant Professor, UMBC

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Christopher Tharp

DEGREE: 2023, Ph.D., Political Science and International

JOB TITLE: ,

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Colten James Strickland

DEGREE: 2022, Ph.D., Epidemiology

JOB TITLE: COVID-19 Epidemiology and Surveillance Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Health

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Yajaira I. Ayala

DEGREE: 2022, Ph.D., Disaster Science & Management

JOB TITLE: ,

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Samantha Penta

DEGREE: 2017, Ph.D., Sociology

JOB TITLE: Assistant Professor, University at Albany, State University of New York

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Anthony Cario

DEGREE: 2016, M.S., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Project Lead, IT Team, All Hands and Hearts

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Paige Fitzgerald

DEGREE: 2016, M.S., Disaster Science and Managemen

JOB TITLE: Senior Administrator, Delaware Emergency Management Agency

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Juan Camilo Sánchez Gil

DEGREE: 2016, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Professor, Universidad de Antioquia

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Mary (Maggie) Nelan

DEGREE: 2016, Ph.D., Sociology

JOB TITLE: Assistant Professor, University of North Texas

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Benjamin D. Wallace

DEGREE: 2016, M.S., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: International Practice Coordinator, SPIN Global

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Hsien-Ho (Ray) Chang

DEGREE: 2015, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

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DRC Alumni Profiles: 35


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James B. Goetschius

DEGREE: 2014, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency

Colonel Jim Goetschius (Ph.D. ’14) serves as the Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency (HFPA) in Falls Church, Virginia. He is also the Army Surgeon General’s Health Facilities Planning Consultant responsible for recruiting, training, and retaining subject matter expertise in the health facility planning career field. Before his current assignment, Jim served as HFPA’s Director, Project Execution Division where he led a global team of professionals in executing the U.S. Army’s $6.6 billion medical facility capital investment program serving more than 3.9 million beneficiaries. He was also responsible for the execution of $1.8 billion in initial outfitting and transition requirements.

Jim is a veteran of the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, where his responsibilities included the design-build of the theater hospital at Balad Airbase in Iraq and the construction of the multinational hospital at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. He is certified an urban planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners, designated a Level II Certified Acquisition Professional in Facilities Engineering by the Army Acquisition Corps, and credentialed as a Defense Support of Civil Authorities Specialist.

Jim is an active volunteer leader with Team Rubicon and serves as their Logistics Manager for Maryland and Delaware.

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Anne Goodman

DEGREE: 2014, M.S., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Workers’ Compensation Claims Representative, Sedgwick Claims Management

Anne is a Newark, DE native currently living on a small South Jersey farmstead and working in Philadelphia, PA. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Interpersonal Communications and Sociology with an Emergency and Environmental Management concentration from the University of Delaware in 2012 (minoring in Spanish). Since graduating from the DISA program, Anne has had a rather eclectic career-path working both abroad and in the US. She first served a year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer supporting New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD) recovery efforts 2 years after Hurricane Sandy. On the side, she worked with the Hillsborough Township NJ Engineering Department to build a cohesive GIS-mapping compatible data-set for their storm water management locations. After that she spent 4 months in 2016 with Conscious Impact Nepal doing administration, outreach and sustainable earthquake-resistant construction in a rural village outside Kathmandu during the aftermath of the April 2014 earthquake. An avid cyclist, she returned to Newark in 2017 for 6 months to co-manage the Newark Bike Project’s store-front before flying back to Asia to manage Global Vision International (GVI)’s Asian-elephant conservation and alternative livelihoods project in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She then returned to Conscious Impact Nepal for another month in 2018 to assist with their risk management and financial development efforts. After another 6 months working as the Business Development Coordinator for the Newark Bike Project (and guest-moderating the UD DISA Grad Sudent Forum), she entered the professional world of risk management and insurance claims at Sedgwick CMS Inc in October 2018. There, she earned her Associate in Risk Management (ARM) certification while handling “personal disasters” for injured workers in PA, NJ and VA. From there she hopes to make her way into disaster risk resilience expert consulting. She hopes to earn her doctorate and use her expertise to help others effectively handle whatever life throws their way.
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Kenneth E. Green

DEGREE: 1984, Ph.D., Rural Sociology

JOB TITLE: Provost, University of Fredericton

Ken received his Ph.D. degree in Rural Sociology at Ohio State University, and served as a graduate research associate (field research supervisor) affiliated with the “Emergent Citizen Groups in Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Activities” project conducted at the OSU-DRC. Although his resume does not reflect a specialization or expertise in the field of disasters, his experiences at DRC most certainly contributed significantly to his accomplishments. After graduation he served jointly as the Assistant Director and Research Professor at the Agricultural Experiment Station of University of the Virgin Islands. While there he was the principal investigator for four USDA and USDI sponsored Eastern Caribbean research projects. He left the Caribbean to assume an Executive Director position within a multi-jurisdictional district of the Appalachian Regional Commission; and due to his unique residential location was able to maintain constant classroom practices as an adjunct professor of sociology at Frostburg State University, Shepherd University and Shenandoah University; as well as serve on appointments with West Virginia University and Marshall University.

Two years after retiring in 2002 and moving to Canada; Ken came out of retirement and helped establish an accredited and government approved online university, which he now serves as its “virtual” Provost from his one of his three homes (depending on the weather) in Canada, France, and Spain.

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Alex Greer

DEGREE: 2015, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: Assistant Professor, University at Albany, State University of New York

Dr. Alex Greer is an Assistant Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. Alex earned his Ph.D. in Disaster Science and Management from the University of Delaware, where he worked as a research assistant at the Disaster Research Center.

Alex conducts interdisciplinary, mixed methods research on a number of topics related to disaster science. His research interests include hazard adjustments, relocation decision-making processes, and organizational culture. Some of his current research projects include a National Science Foundation funded study exploring earthquake adjustment in Oklahoma, a Quick Response project studying buyouts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and a study funded by the International Association of Fire Chiefs investigating organizational culture and leadership in the fire service. He has engaged in quick response fieldwork after a number of events, including the Pawnee earthquake of 2016, Moore tornado of 2013, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

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Ziqiang Han

DEGREE: 2014, Ph.D., Disaster Science and Management

JOB TITLE: , Shandong University

Alumni Engagement

Alumni are the university’s most valuable resources. By investing your time, talent and treasure, you make a deep impact that increases the value of a University of Delaware degree. View some of the ways we keep engaged below.

DRC 2019 07 NHW Alumni Reception

ABOVE: DRC faculty, students and alums at the Annual DRC Alumni Reception, 2019.

Each year DRC hosts the Annual DRC Alumni Reception at the Natural Hazards Workshop! This is a great opportunity to meet DRC alums and to connect/reconnect with old and new friends.

Share Your Knowledge

Each semester, we welcome our alumni to share their work, research, and experiences with our students. Whether they join us in person or virtually, our current students are always excited to hear from those in the expansive network of DRC alumni from around the world. Reach out to drc-mail@udel.edu! We would love to hear from you.

Inspire the Future

Our alumni value providing hands-on experiences for our students, be it through practicums, internships, and invitations for students to come and share their innovative research with the alum’s organization. Some have even designated awards to support students through assistantships, summer internship stipends, and travel support to attend conferences. Contact us at drc-mail@udel.edu if you have an idea of how you want to support this next generation of scholars and practitioners.

Stay Connected

Stay connected to DRC by following the Disaster Research Center on Facebook and on Twitter, signing up for the DRC Dispatch newsletter, and updating your contact information to help us better communicate with you.