DRC Research
DRC projects have been supported by diverse sources, including: National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant Program, Social Science Research Council (SSRC), and Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI).
Coastal Hazards, Equity, Economic Prosperity and Resilience (CHEER)
DURATION: September 1, 2022 –
RESEARCHERS: Rachel Davidson, Sarah DeYoung, Joseph Trainor, A.R. Siders[/if 449]
FUNDING: National Science Foundation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The UD-led hub — Coastal Hazards, Equity, Economic prosperity and Resilience (CHEER) — is one of five NSF-funded projects announced recently as part of the agency’s Coastlines and People program, which is concentrating its research efforts to protect the natural, social and economic resources of U.S. coasts, and to help create more resilient coastal communities.
This five-year project will be led by Rachel Davidson, a core DRC faculty member and UD professor of civil and environmental engineering. Co-principal investigators include Sarah DeYoung, core DRC faculty member and associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at UD; Linda Nozick, professor and director of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University; Brian Colle, professor and division head of atmospheric sciences at Stony Brook University; and Meghan Millea, professor of economics at East Carolina University.
COVID-19: Community Impacts and Adaptation To Crisis: Delawareans Living With HIV/Aids
RESEARCHERS: Tricia Wachtendorf
FUNDING: Internally Funded, Delaware HIV Consortium
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The crisis surrounding COVID-19 impacted communities across the globe. Appreciating that disasters have differential impacts on those affected, this study examined the impact the crisis had on Delawareans living with HIV/AIDS. The study explored issues of preparedness, response, adaptation, and decision-making, among other social consequences, as well as challenges related to health, housing, finances, and support. Over 50 interviews were conducted with clients of the Delaware HIV Consortium to better understand their experiences and needs over the course of the pandemic.
DRC RESEARCH PROJECTS: 6
FILTER BY RESEARCH AREA:
4 Climate Change | 5 Humanitarian Assistance | 6 Infrastructure Risk Management | 12 Protective Actions | 14 Public Health | 15 Response | 3 Social Vulnerability | 4 Warning and Risk Perception | CLEAR ALL
FILTER BY CLASSIFICATION:
11 Active Research | 19 Past Research | 5 Student Research | CLEAR ALL
DRC COVID-19: Community Impacts and Adaptation to Crisis
RESEARCHERS: Tricia Wachtendorf, James Kendra
FUNDING: Internally Funded
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The crisis surrounding COVID-19 impacted communities across the globe. This effort examined the impact of the crisis on community in the early stages of the pandemic, exploring issues of preparedness, response, adaptation, and decision-making, among other social consequences. A concentric approach to data collection began with the impact of the crisis on an institution of higher education – the University of Delaware and its population. The examination spanned outward to include others who have relationships with the institution (e.g. community members, businesses, faith-based organizations, agencies, among others). We then circle back to those involved with the community around the core institution, to examine in greater depth core questions around impact, decision-making, and adaptation under crisis. Several hundred in-depth interviews were conducted with people impacted by the crisis, with the potential to follow up with participants at a later date.
JHU/CDC: Composite of Post-Event Well-Being (Copewell)
DURATION: August 15, 2017 – August 14, 2020
RESEARCHERS: James Kendra
FUNDING: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
COPEWELL is a systems dynamics model of community functioning and well-being during and after a disaster, designed to be used as a predictor, pre-event, of peri- and post-event resilience at the county level. Current project activities include initial sharing of the model, validation, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation. Principal Investigators: Jonathan M. Links, Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness; Additional Co-PI: Tom Inglesby, MD, UPMC Center for Health Security
NSF COLLAB RSH CRISP TYPE 2: Defining and Optimizing Societal Objectives for the Earthquake Risk Management of Critical Infrastructure
DURATION: September 1, 2017 – August 31, 2021
RESEARCHERS: Rachel Davidson, James Kendra
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Critical infrastructure systems, such as electric power and water supply, must be designed, managed, and operated so they function reliably and efficiently even in the case of an extreme event. Nevertheless, the way infrastructure system services meet societal needs and the way disruptions of those services impair the ability to meet societal needs are not well understood. In this project, we will define the societal objectives for infrastructure system performance in earthquakes and develop a method to comprehensively optimize a broad range of risk management strategies to meet them, including component design, upgrading, and repair and restoration planning. Specific project tasks include: (1) Developing a probabilistic scenario-based model of the risk of multiple infrastructure systems to earthquakes with the ability to evaluate alternative risk management strategies; (2) Integrating the complementary strengths of social media, household surveys, and economic impact analyses to empirically assess societal objectives, users’ adaptive strategies in responding to disruptions, and the relationships between them and traditional measures of system functioning; (3) Developing an optimization model to optimize risk management to meet societal objectives; and (4) Demonstrating models through a full-scale case study for electric power and water in collaboration with our partners at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
NSF EAGER: Risk Objects In Public Health Crisis: An Exploratory Investigation Of Stigma, Role-Triage, And Cautionary Measures
DURATION: October 1, 2015 – August 31, 2019
RESEARCHERS: James Kendra, Tricia Wachtendorf
ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATOR: Sarah Sisco, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
DRC, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will conduct research on the management of the Ebola crisis in NYC. This study focuses on the generation of stigma in epidemic (or epidemic threatened) environments. In particular, we explore who is involved in the generation of stigma labels, why these labels emerge, the consequences they generate, and how various stakeholders promote, resist, or contend with stigma. The project seeks to learn how public officials, in an environment of scientific uncertainty and multijurisdictional conflict and contradiction, can counter stigmatization and mitigate the creation of risk.
NSF: Information Chain Support for Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery
RESEARCHERS: James Kendra
FUNDING: National Science Foundation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project seeks to develop and implement a tuple based information retrieval system that efficiently retrieves information from the big data environment, i.e. InfoChain. This system is being designed for practical application in the emergency management information environment and is being evaluated as it interfaces with the Disaster Research Center’s existing Resource Collection catalog database, DISCAT. Currently, a new search engine is being developed that will provide enhanced functionality and capabilities to DISCAT. The platform is also being designed with broader applications beyond emergency management information mining in mind.
Promoting Community Resilience In New York City After Hurricane Sandy: A Model-Based Approach
RESEARCHERS: James Kendra
FUNDING: Johns Hopkins University, New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Office, US Department of Health and Human Services
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project is a collaborative effort between the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware, and the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A sample of 2,087 households were randomly sampled using random digit dialing to cell phones and landlines in NYC between September 2014 and May 2015. The project aims to identify factors that influence community resistance, resilience, and recovery in NYC; develop a predictive model of resilience; and, identify possible candidate interventions in order to promote disaster resilience and recovery strategies in NYC. Principal Investigators: Jonathan M. Links, Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness, and Sarah Sisco, New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
DRC RESEARCH PROJECTS: 36
FILTER BY RESEARCH AREA:
4 Climate Change | 5 Humanitarian Assistance | 6 Infrastructure Risk Management | 12 Protective Actions | 14 Public Health | 15 Response | 3 Social Vulnerability | 4 Warning and Risk Perception | CLEAR ALL
FILTER BY CLASSIFICATION:
11 Active Research | 19 Past Research | 5 Student Research | CLEAR ALL
UD GUR: Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Measuring Changes During Natural Hazards in the United States
DURATION: June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2022
RESEARCHERS: Sarah DeYoung
FUNDING: UD General University Research (GUR)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The research aim for this project is to identify the ways in which hazards and disasters impact infant feeding. Specifically, while pre- and post-data from previous work indicates that disaster evacuations reduce rates of breastfeeding (DeYoung, Chase, & Pensa-Branco, 2018) and may increase use of infant formula, additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms for this change, and whether the reduction in breastfeeding occurs in multiple hazards contexts, and to what extent these findings are generalizable to the broader populations impacted by disasters. Specifically, the DeYoung et al., 2018 study was conducted among a non-random sample of evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. Caregivers indicated challenges with access to adequate infant feeding supplies for breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and mixed feeding. Additionally, qualitative data after the Nepal earthquake (DeYoung, Suji, & Southall, 2018) suggests that choices about infant feeding among families displaced by the earthquake were influenced by breastmilk substitutes distributed by nongovernmental groups (NGO’s). However, additional research is needed to clarify the effect of disasters on infant feeding. Identifying inhibiting factors for sustained breastfeeding and safe artificial feeding during and after disasters can inform new interventions and policies used in mass care and evacuation scenarios. This research will employ a mixed-methods approach to identifying the key variables for bolstering safe infant feeding in emergencies.
UDRF: Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Measuring Changes During Natural Hazards in the United States
DURATION: June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2022
RESEARCHERS: Sarah DeYoung
FUNDING: UD Research Foundation (UDRF)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The research aims for this project are to identify the ways in which hazards and disasters impact infant feeding in the United States and to identify key variables for bolstering safe infant feeding in emergencies. Specifically, while data from previous work indicates that disaster evacuations reduce rates of breastfeeding (DeYoung, Chase, & Pensa-Branco, 2018) and may increase use of infant formula, additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms for this change, and whether the reduction in breastfeeding occurs in multiple hazards contexts, and to what extent these findings are generalizable to the broader populations impacted by disasters. Specifically, the DeYoung et al., 2018 study was conducted among a non-random sample of evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire in Canada. Caregivers indicated challenges with access to adequate space for breastfeeding in emergency shelters and a lack of access to supplies for safe bottle-feeding. Additionally, findings from qualitative research after the Nepal (Gorkha) earthquake (DeYoung, Suji, & Southall, 2018) suggest that choices about infant feeding among families displaced by the earthquake were influenced by breastmilk substitutes distributed by nongovernmental groups (NGO’s). Additional research is needed to clarify the effect of disasters on infant feeding. Identifying inhibiting factors for sustained breastfeeding and safe artificial feeding during and after disasters can inform new interventions and policies used in mass care and evacuation scenarios
UM/NSF CRISP TYPE 2: Interdependencies in Community Resilience (ICOR): A Simulation Framework
DURATION: September 1, 2016 – August 31, 2021
RESEARCHERS: Ben Aguirre
FUNDING: National Science Foundation, University of Michigan
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Natural hazards engineering, and disaster science more broadly, have evolved into a multitude of highly specialized disciplines, each dedicated to handling a subset of the overall challenge of mitigating the effects of natural hazards. While progress in each discipline has varied by the historical size of its research community and amount of resources devoted to it, a common observation is that computational research is widespread in all fields. By exploiting this state of affairs and using computational modeling as a common language to link disparate disciplines, this project’s proposed computational platform will open the door for researchers to collaborate in new ways. Users will be able to connect their individual computational models (simulators) to the proposed integrative platform and simultaneously run them with simulators from other disciplines to explore the complex interactions that take place between the different systems of society during and after natural hazard disasters. The ability to seamlessly interface with other models with minimal effort will foster entirely new collaborations between researchers who do not traditionally work together, enabling as-of- yet unimagined studies within and contributions to the natural hazards engineering and disaster science fields. The new understanding that will result from this effort will shed light on the complex interactions that take place between policy, casualty rates and community resilience and clarify to what extent policy changes need to be implemented to significantly influence a community’s level of resilience to natural disasters. The work will also have a substantial impact on the development of human resources. By bridging civil engineering, social science and computer science, the students who will work on this project will attain a truly multi-disciplinary education at the intersection of these disciplines. Co-Principal Investigator: Sherif El-Tawil, Professor and Associate Chair, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan
Understanding the Relationship Between Household Decisions and Infrastructure Investment in Disaster Recovery: Superstorm Sandy
RESEARCHERS: Sue McNeil, Joseph Trainor
FUNDING: US Department of Transportation through the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation University Transportation Center at Rutgers
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This study uses an exploratory, multiple case study methodology to explore the most influential factors associated with household decision making in two communities, Oakwood Beach in Staten Island, NY, and Sea Bright, NJ. Both communities suffered substantial losses from the hurricane. They are also both small, coastal communities. The population of Oakwood is 12,038 and the population of Sea Bright is 1,414. They also have key differences. Oakwood is the site of a pilot project that will give homeowners 100% of their pre-Sandy home value with an additional 5% if they choose to rebuild on Staten Island. Sea Bright, on the other hand, is rebuilding in the same location. Data collection for each case study community included a survey and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with adult members of households that sustained substantial damages from Hurricane Sandy. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey results and interviews was used to test hypotheses identified in the literature. These results were also connected to the impact of infrastructure disruptions.
USDA: Strengthening Local, Regional, and National Emergency Poultry Disease Response
DURATION: January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
RESEARCHERS: Jennifer Horney
FUNDING: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project enhances local, regional, and national emergency poultry disease response. Timeliness is essential to control fast-moving diseases such as avian influenza or Newcastle disease. Local and regional responders can provide an initial capacity prior to mobilization of national level resources such as National Veterinary Stockpile equipment and contractors. On the Delmarva Peninsula, emergency poultry diseases are managed collaboratively between states and agencies and utilize a three-part model in which government, industry, and academia come together to save poultry. This project will strengthen response and enhance teamwork through mutual training in depopulation, epidemiology training on agriculturally important animal diseases; grower training on expectations and roles during an emergency; and grower and industry-oriented mass disposal training.
Using Information at Different Spatial Scales to Estimate Demand to Support Asset Management Decision Making
RESEARCHERS: Sue McNeil, Joseph Trainor
FUNDING: Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The focus of this project is to understand how diverse, large data sets support asset management decision-making post disaster. In particular, the focus is on integrating sensor, survey, demographic, vulnerability and condition data related to the supporting infrastructure, the community, and households.
