Susamma Seeley, a United States Army Veteran and Certified Emergency Manager, is a disaster science and management doctoral student at UD. She is the United Nations representative for the Malankara Social Service Society, a South Indian NGO with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.  Prior to starting her doctoral studies, she worked with a national faith-based organization where she specialized in crisis and disaster human services coordination and had served as a former Chairperson of the New York City and the Missouri State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYC VOAD & MO VOAD). Ms. Seeley was a member of the Catholic Charities USA Disaster Assessment and Response Team where she was deployed to many notable disasters including the 2011 Joplin Tornado, and the 2012 New Jersey Super Storm Sandy response. When she deployed on their behalf, she assisted the local Catholic Charities agency to integrate their disaster operations into the local community’s response and recovery.  

Ms. Seeley graduated Summa Cum Laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York (BA), and holds a Master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management (MPA) from Metropolitan College of New York. In June 2016, she completed the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative Executive Education Program at Harvard University – Kennedy School of Government & T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

Ms. Seeley is an active member of the International Association of Emergency Managers and was Chairperson of the IAEM-USA Conference Committee from 2012 to 2016.   She was the Advisory Board Chairperson for Emergency Management Methodology Partners and is a co-founder of ProBonoEM.   Ms. Seeley was born in Kerala, India and speaks Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, and Spanish at various levels of proficiency.