Population Health

February 20, 2020

Spring undergraduate course to focus on humanitarian and disaster research


Image of homes damaged by Hurricane Maria

A 91探花team installs a solar microgrid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

The Population Health Initiative is again offering GEN ST 297, “Disasters: Approaches to Preparation, Response and Recovery,” during spring quarter 2020. This is a one-credit, credit/no-credit seminar-style course for undergraduate students that will require completion of short, weekly quizzes and a two- to three-page final paper.

Natural and human-made disasters result in enormous human and economic costs, including immediate loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, food shortages, disease outbreaks and displacement. The appropriate response to these disasters is complex, requiring multi-level, cross-sector coordination and input from a range of disciplines.

The course, , will offer undergraduate students an overview of the research and service-related activities at the 91探花that contribute to management of these types of emergencies. The course will meet Tuesdays. The speakers and topics for the quarter are:

Date Speaker Topic Unit
3/31 Meher Antia
Derek Fulwiler
Course introduction
Overview of disasters
Population Health Initiative
4/7 Health in complex humanitarian emergencies Emergency Medicine
4/14 Community resilience and hazard mitigation Urban Design & Planning
4/21 Trauma related to disasters Psychology
4/28 Frontlines of handling Ebola crisis: Trust Global Health and Nursing
5/5 Pandemic disease preparedness: Coronavirus Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
5/12 Domestic preparation for disasters Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
5/19 Earthquake preparedness and early warning Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
5/26 Deployment for data gathering in a disaster aftermath Civil & Environmental Engineering
6/2 Barry Morgan Hands-on, practical information about preparedness 91探花Emergency Management

This course is open to all interested faculty, students, staff, alumni and members of the community, although undergraduates who wish to receive course credit must register during the course add period.