Featured Post from University of Delaware

Disaster researchers discuss preparedness, evacuations and recovery as Hurricane Idalia bears down on Florida's Gulf Coast

Aug 29, 2023

1 min

It's déjà vu all over again. Less than a year after Hurricane Ian brought floods and destruction to Florida towns off the Gulf of Mexico, another storm, Hurricane Idalia, is expected to strengthen significantly ahead of its expected landfall on Wednesday. Experts from the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center can talk about a variety of topics, including preparedness, sea-level rise, managed retreat, evacuations and recovery, as they relate to the latest hurricane to hit the Sunshine State.

A.R. Siders: Expert on sea level rise and managed retreat – the concept of planned community movement away from coastlines and flood-prone areas. She can discuss the impact of the expected storm surge and what can be done in the future to prepare and avoid costly and deadly ramifications from the resulting flooding.

Tricia Wachtendorf: Evacuation decision-making, disaster response and coordination, disaster relief (donations) and logistics, volunteer and emergent efforts, social vulnerability.

Jennifer Horney: Environmental impacts of disasters and potential public health impacts for chronic and infectious diseases.

Sarah DeYoung: Pets in emergencies, infant feeding in disasters and decision-making in evacuation.

Jennifer Trivedi: Challenges for people with disabilities during disaster, cultural issues and long-term recovery.

Joe Trainor: Post-storm housing decisions and insurance.

To schedule an interview with any of these experts, simply click on their profile and send them a message.

Connect with:

A.R. Siders

Director, Climate Change Science & Policy Hub | Core Faculty, Disaster Research Center | Associate Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration & Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences

Prof. Siders' research focuses on climate change adaptation policies with an emphasis on relocation and fairness in adaptation.

Climate ChangeManaged RetreatClimate & Disaster StudyEnvironmental Video GamesClimate Change Adaptation Policies

Tricia Wachtendorf

Director / Professor, Disaster Research Center / Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice

Prof. Wachtendorf expertise lies in the social, organizational, and decision-making aspects of disasters.

evacuationsMulti-organizational coordination and responses in disastersTransnational crisesImprovisation and adaptationCommunity-based approaches to preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation

Jennifer Horney

Professor and Director, Epidemiology

Jennifer Horney's research focuses on the health impacts of disasters and public health emergencies including climate change.

MeaslesEpidemiologyepidemicCOVID-19Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response

Sarah DeYoung

Associate Professor, Sociology & Criminal Justice

Prof. DeYoung's expertise is in maternal and child health in crisis and disaster settings, with a focus on infant feeding in emergencies.

Evacuation Decision-makingCompanion Animals in DisastersMaternal & Infant Health in DisastersRefugee & Immigrant Well-beingPsychological Sense of Community

Jennifer Trivedi

Assistant Professor, Anthropology; Core Faculty Member, Disaster Research Center

Prof. Trivedi's research explores disaster vulnerability, response, recovery, resilience and decision-making.

Disaster Resilience‎Disaster ResponseDisaster VulnerabilityDisaster RecoveryHurricanes

Joseph E. Trainor

Interim Dean and Professor, Biden School of Public Policy & Administration

Can discuss behavioral responses to disasters, including household risk management and decision making about warnings and evacuation orders.

Public and organizational behavior in disastersDisaster MitigationSmart Warning SystemsMobile Warning SystemsDisaster Warning Systems

Find Experts

Aug 26, 2026

1 min

How Trade Wars Are Reshaping Fashion and Apparel

Trade disputes and tariffs have become an increasingly common part of the global economic landscape, with the fashion and apparel industry often caught in the crossfire. University of Delaware professor Sheng Lu can explain how these disruptions reshape sourcing decisions, supply chains, prices and the products ultimately available to consumers. Lu can discuss: • How new tariffs, including those on Canadian jackets and wool products, could affect consumers, fashion companies and apparel supply chains. • How tariffs can affect apparel prices and product availability for U.S. consumers. • Why fashion and apparel supply chains are particularly vulnerable to trade policy changes. • The impact of trade disputes on fashion companies and retailers in the U.S. and abroad. • What previous trade disputes can tell us about the potential consequences of tariffs. To arrange an interview, visit Lu's profile and click on the “contact” button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Aug 25, 2026

1 min

Epidemiologist Available to Discuss Measles, Vaccination and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

As measles cases continue to rise in the United States, University of Delaware epidemiologist Jennifer Horney is available to discuss measles outbreaks, vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and the challenges of preventing the spread of highly contagious infectious diseases. The deaths of two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents from measles — the first measles deaths in the state in 35 years — underscore the continuing public health risks posed by the disease. Horney, a former member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Board of Scientific Counselors, is an experienced epidemiologist who studies infectious disease outbreaks and public health preparedness. Horney can discuss: • Measles outbreaks and transmission: Why measles is among the most contagious infectious diseases and how outbreaks spread. • Vaccination: The effectiveness of the MMR vaccine and the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates. • Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation: What influences vaccination decisions and how public health messaging affects perceptions of vaccine and infectious disease risks. • Measles prevention and treatment: Why outbreaks can reemerge when vaccination coverage falls, and the role and limitations of vitamin A and other treatments. • Outbreak response and preparedness: How public health officials investigate and respond to measles and other infectious disease outbreaks, and what can be learned from previous outbreaks. To reach Horney directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the “contact” button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Aug 10, 2026

1 min

Experts on earthquake response, community recovery and building safety

The shaking from a major earthquake may be over in minutes, but its consequences will last for years. University of Delaware experts can address emergency response, distributing aid, assessing damaged buildings, helping vulnerable communities and planning for long-term recovery. Their expertise is particularly relevant as communities across Latin America respond to major earthquakes, including the deadly magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia. Tricia Wachtendorf, co-director of UD’s Disaster Research Center, offers expertise on how governments, nonprofits, emergency responders and community groups coordinate following a major disaster. Her research examines the role of spontaneous or “emergent” groups, humanitarian aid and donations, and how communities and organizations respond in the aftermath of disasters. Jennifer Trivedi, associate professor of anthropology and Disaster Research Center faculty member, specializes in disaster vulnerability and why some communities are more severely affected than others. She also addresses the long-term recovery needs and planning that emerge after the immediate crisis. Michael Chajes, professor of civil and environmental engineering, provides expertise on the structural damage caused by earthquakes, why some buildings collapse while others withstand the shaking and how engineers assess damaged structures and improve earthquake resilience. To arrange an interview with one of these experts, visit their profiles and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.