Natural Hazards Observer
| March 2006 | Volume XXX | Number 4 |
Mary Fran Myers Award:
Nominees Sought
The Gender and Disaster Network and the Natural Hazards Center invite nominations of individuals working in the hazards field who should be recognized for efforts to advance women’s careers in emergency management and the academy and for promoting gendered disaster research. Established in 2002, the Mary Fran Myers Award recognizes that vulnerability to disasters and mass emergencies is influenced by social, cultural, and economic structures that marginalize women and girls. The award was so named to recognize Myers’ sustained efforts to launch a worldwide network among disaster professionals for advancing women’s careers and for promoting research on gender issues, disasters, emergency management, and higher education.
The intent of this award is to recognize people whose program-related activities, advocacy efforts, or research has had a lasting, positive impact on reducing hazards vulnerability for women and girls. The award committee is especially interested in soliciting nominations from outside the United States. People whose work adds to the body of knowledge on gender and disasters, is significant for the theory and/or practice of gender and disasters, or has furthered opportunities for women to succeed in the hazards field are eligible to receive the award.
To nominate someone:
- Submit the full name and contact information (mailing address, e-mail, telephone, fax) of both nominee and nominator,
- Provide a maximum five-hundred word description of specific examples of how the nominee’s work fits the award criteria mentioned above,
- Provide a resume/curriculum vitae of the nominee that reflects his/her commitment to gendered research and the promotion of women’s involvement in the field,
- Provide a personal statement from the nominee indicating willingness to be considered, and
- Provide no more than one letter of support, not to exceed one page, from another person or organization that supports the nomination.
Direct questions and submit materials (e-mail attachments only) by May 15, 2006, to Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu at mariyabandu@yahoo.com. This announcement is also online at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/mfmaward/.
National PERISHIP Awards
The Natural Hazards Center and the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), in partnership with the National Science Foundation and Swiss Reinsurance Company (Swiss Re), will be awarding PhD dissertation fellowships to support research on any aspect of natural and human-made hazards, risks, and disasters. The goal of the program is to foster the development of the next generation of interdisciplinary hazards scholars who can offer wide-ranging contributions to the body of knowledge in hazards research. As a relatively small subset of many different disciplines, the interdisciplinary hazards field relies to an unusual extent on an influx of young scholars committed simultaneously to their own disciplines and to the more practical, applied aspects of the field. This combination can be difficult to achieve in today’s traditional academic climate, and thus this program helps solidify student interest in and commitment to hazards via financial support.
Applications for this second round of PERISHIP Awards are due September 1, 2006. Complete program information, including deadlines, eligibility, and application requirements, is available at http://www.cudenver.edu/periship/. Specific questions can be directed to Audre Hoffman, PERI, 11350 Random Hills Road, #210, Fairfax, VA 22030; (703) 352-1846; e-mail: periship@riskinstitute.org.
New Quick Response Reports from
the Natural Hazards Center
The following Quick Response reports are now available from the Natural Hazards Center. They can be accessed online at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qrrepts.html.
QR179 Examination of the American Red Cross and FEMA following Hurricanes Charley and Ivan, by Robert M. Schwartz. 2005. This research looked at the performance of the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Hurricanes Charley and Ivan in two Florida counties. Local officials cited communications issues as a major challenge and emphasized the importance of mitigation planning and an all-hazards approach. Citizens preferred face-to-face contact with FEMA personnel, were frustrated by policies and procedures they were unfamiliar with, and found disaster resource centers useful. Findings also highlight policy misunderstandings between national and local Red Cross representatives.
QR180 Hurricane Katrina: GIS Response for a Major Metropolitan Area, by Andrew Curtis, Jacqueline W. Mills, Jason K. Blackburn, and John C. Pine. 2005. This report is based on the observations of a research team that helped craft an organizational response to Louisiana’s request for geographic information systems (GIS) in support of the Hurricane Katrina emergency response efforts. Findings show that preplanning to accumulate base data, develop standards for organizing and sharing data, designate hardware and software, and direct the early use of volunteers saves money, personnel, and time, contributing to a more effective GIS disaster response.
QR181 The Selendang Ayu Oil Spill: A Study of the Renewable Resource Community of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, by Liesel Ritchie and Duane Gill. 2005. These researchers examined community responses in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to the Selendang Ayu shipwreck and oil spill in 2004. They found little to no evidence suggesting long-term negative social impacts from the incident and found some positive outcomes in the increased appreciation for the community’s ties to the natural environment and the heightened awareness of risks associated with the high volume of international shipping traffic in the region as well as other environmental risks.